Confinement
by Violet Wings
Summary: One morning, Seto Kaiba wakes up and finds himself trapped in his bedroom with his only means of escape being through his computer. With the help of Jounouchi, who can only interact with him in the virtual reality, Seto begins unraveling why he cannot leave and uncovers a plot that threatens the very existence of KaibaCorp as well as his own life. [SetoxJou]
1. 1 : Waking Up

Hey everyone! So, it's that time of life again where I revisit Fanfiction.

Those of you who follow me might remember that I tried writing a horror story with the same title ("Confinement") a few months ago, but that I eventually canned it and wrote "Co-Op Gaming." I wanted to return to "Confinement" and actually write it, but I made some changes in plot, namely that Anzu is no longer in it. Instead, I want to write my first serious Seto/Jou fanfiction and think this would be a great opportunity.

The story is rated M for violence and language. I don't write overtly sexual (i.e. pornographic) material, though this will be a Seto/Jou fic, so a relationship will eventually develop.

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><p>Chapter 1: Waking Up<p>

His mental alarm clock woke him up before his real one did. It always did. It was as if his mind was terrified of the sound of the real clock and chose to do the job for it.

Groaning, Seto rolled over in bed. His head was pounding, more than usual, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position before rubbing his temples with his hands. The pain didn't go away. Opening his eyes slightly, he glanced over to see the sun rising outside. _Might as well get this show on the road,_ he thought, pushing himself up and out of bed. Walking over to his private bathroom, he clicked the light on and opened his medicine cabinet. A few bottles of pain pills were mixed in with his various toiletries, and grabbing one, he poured two pills out and shoved them in his mouth, swallowing them dry. He then put the container back into the cabinet and closed it. He saw himself in the mirror and sighed.

_It is going to be one of those days, _he thought bitterly._ Let's see...two meetings with Kawachi Firm. A report needed for the patch coming up for the duel disks. And an email to those idiots over at Screening Games. I have had enough of their problems. They can't get a system working for anything, it seems. I also need to figure out who my next contractor will be. Whoever hired them deserves to lose a paycheck or two._

Seto turned the faucet and began running the water. Despite taking the pain pills, his headache seemed to have only grown worse. He filled his hands with warm water and splashed it onto his face, sighing in relief at the sensation. Wiping his face off, he walked back out into his bedroom just in time for the alarm clock to start ringing. He flinched and swiftly walked around, shutting the damn thing off, before walking across the room to his walk-in closet. Stepping inside, he thought, _Let's see... I want to wear my white trenchcoat today. No suits. I want to be as comfortable as...as..._

His eyes wandered up and down the line of clothing, but sure enough, his trenchcoat was nowhere to be found. _What...?_ He stepped back out into his bedroom to see it carelessly placed on his chair. _But I... I always hang it up..._ Picking it up, he was surprised to see the belt buckles around his wrists. He blinked and looked down at himself.

He was already fully dressed.

_Wh-What?_ Sure enough, he was dressed in his black, long-sleeve shirt, matching black pants, and arm bands. Even his boots were on_. Did I...fall asleep in my clothing? _He had done such a thing several times in high school, but he was 22 now. He knew to pick up after himself._ And if I somehow miss it, Kota always gets it._

Kota. His new butler. Well, "new" wasn't the right word. Kota had been hired shortly after the whole scandal in Egypt, meaning he had worked for Kaiba for several years now. But anyone who didn't work under Gozaburo was considered "new" to Seto. _Where is he? _Seto suddenly thought. He turned to look at his alarm clock. The red digital numbers clearly read 7:45. _Kota always knocks on my door at 7:30 to ask about breakfast,_ Seto reflected. Sighing heavily, he walked into his closet and stripped out of his clothes. He wasn't going to wear the same outfit twice in a row without washing it. _This is going to be my day, all right._ Changing into a pair of black slacks and a gray long-sleeve shirt, he decided to spice it up a bit with a silk, black vest over top. If he was going to have a shitty day, he was going to look good during it. The absolute last thing he wanted to wear right now was a suit and tie.

Tossing his clothes into the nearby hamper, Seto returned to his room and thought, _Why didn't I change when I got home last night? Was I really that tired?_ Now that he thought on it, he couldn't really remember what he did after getting home. The night was somewhat of a blur in his mind. _I got off work at 9:30, like usual, at least usual for a Thursday night. Got home at ten...and then what? Did I just go to bed? Why can't I really remember...?_

He shrugged his shoulders. _Whatever,_ he thought, walking towards the door. _I'll ask Mokuba, see what he-_

He turned the doorknob and blinked in shock. Turning it two more times, Seto felt his jaw drop slightly. The door was locked...from the outside.

_What the...what the hell is going on? _Grabbing the knob with both hands, he twisted it with all his might, even kicking at it once in frustration. It wouldn't budge. His door was locked. He was stuck in his own bedroom. He growled loudly under his breath before slamming his fist against the wooden door. "Kota! Mokuba!" He didn't know whose idea of a prank this was, but they caught him on the wrong day. "Open this door, now!"

He waited several seconds and cursed when there was no sound. He banged once more. "Mokuba, open this damn door up! This isn't funny!"

He took a step back, and waited. Silence. No footsteps, no sounds indicating any life whatsoever.

As Seto stood there, his eyes began to widen, his thoughts reeling over what was taking place._ What is going on?_ he slowly thought. _This...this isn't normal._ He reached forward and tried the doorknob once more with the usual amount of energy it took. The door didn't budge.

A shiver went down Seto's spine._ No Kota. No Mokuba. The door is locked. I apparently fell asleep in my clothes... The clothes I wore yesterday. Is there... Wait a minute..._ Seto rushed over to his nightstand to see his cell phone lying on it. He picked it up and clicked several buttons, but his heart sank into the pit of his stomach when he saw it was out of battery. _Shit...just what the hell is going on? _He looked left and right for his charger only to sigh in utter defeat to find it gone. _It's always here... I never take my charger out of the outlet._

A sudden noise caught his attention. A ruffling sound. He glanced over towards the direction it was coming from. The door. _What...what is that?_ Leaning forward, Seto soon crawled down on his hands and knees. A piece of paper was being shoved underneath the door. "H-Hey, hey!" he shouted, rushing at the door. "Mokuba, is that you? Mokuba? Kota? Let me out of here! Why is this door even locked?" To his utter shock, no one responded. In fact, once the paper was pushed in all the way, no sounds emitted. It was as if a ghost slid the paper through. No echoing footsteps, no voices, not even the sensation of someone being on the other side. Seto always sensed where people were; it was how he often avoided Gozaburo and his damnable butler all those years ago. Even before that, Seto got good at sensing other people just by sound. It helped him quite a bit with the pranksters at the orphanage.

So how was no one on the other side of the door?

"This is ridiculous," he thought aloud. "There has to be someone out there..." Taking a step back from the door, he crossed his arms and began to think. _Can't check my phone because it is dead. Cannot get out of the room without someone helping me. And there's nobody. I didn't give Kota the day off work. Mokuba should still be here; he doesn't leave for school until 8:00. Besides, how is the door even locked from the outside? _He shook the doorknob again, knowing before he even started that it would still be locked. Indeed, the door remained jammed shut. _Someone had to have locked me in. That's the only logical explanation for all this. But why? Is this Mokuba telling me I need a day off from work? No, he knows far better than to pull shit like this. If I can't call out or call someone..._ Seto turned to look to his left. Against the wall with the entrance to his walk-in closet was a long, wooden desk. His personal computer, his pride and joy, sat on top, along with a few folders and even a sci-fi book he was currently reading. Walking over to the computer, he sat down in his office chair and moved the mouse. He half expected it to be broken, too, but a smirk crossed his lips as it came to life, asking for his password. _Perhaps my email will have some sort of clue as to what's going on,_ Seto thought as he furiously typed in his 20-character-long password. _That, or I can at least email Mokuba and see what is going on. Then I can-_

Instead of being taken to the main screen, Seto was stunned to see what appeared to be camera footage of a street appear on the monitor. The street was entirely empty. No cars, no people. He didn't recognize the area at all. It looked like a suburb, perhaps a small town shortly outside Domino City. It had a quaint, village vibe to it. _Why is this on my computer? Where is my screen?_

But Seto's thoughts refused to continue as the street seemed to stretch. In fact, the _screen_ appeared to be stretching. He tried to move but found he was stuck to his chair. He could only watch as the image that had appeared on his screen quickly encircled him, as if wrapping around him tightly. He felt the chair disappear underneath him and quickly stood, still immobilized to his current position. His breathing quickened as the street spread past his peripheral vision, the buildings now appearing on his right and left. It was as if he was being shoved out onto the street directly through his computer monitor. A million thoughts flooded his mind, with one in particular standing out: _What the hell is going on?!_

Blinking, Seto took a step forward as he felt the blanket of resistance suddenly vanish. He inhaled and exhaled, scanning the downtown scenery before him. _I am dreaming,_ he concluded. _This has to be a dream. There is no physical, possible way I just, just...jumped from my bedroom to downtown Domino. _He clenched his hands and turned to look behind him. What he saw caused his breath to hitch in his throat.

His bedroom was gone. He was now trapped.


	2. 2 : A New Virtual Reality

Chapter 2 : A New Virtual World

Closing his eyes, Seto inhaled and slowly exhaled before reopening them. Sure enough, the same street stretched out before him, and the same buildings hovered around him. He turned 360 degrees. No sign of his bedroom, or even of his manor. The area was foreign to him. It looked like the suburb where his orphanage had been, though there were obvious differences. It was a little more urban than that, but not by much. The streets were smoothly paved, and the buildings had an historic feel to them, designed in a traditional manner. The sun was just setting, painting the scenery with a red tint.

_Where am I?_ Seto thought to himself as he continued scanning the street. _This seems like a lucid dream. But something feels...off._

He inhaled and slowly exhaled a second time. He had to keep calm about this. Freaking out about what was taking place would only hinder him. He had to be rational; it served him well in the real world, didn't it? Mentally nodding to himself, he thought, _I should investigate one of these buildings. Perhaps I'll find a clue as to what the hell is going on._

Taking a step forward, Seto was somewhat caught off-guard by the lack of resistance. He expected there to be some, especially after being trapped in his computer seat while being transported, but he walked effortlessly to his left. He approached the nearest building and read the sign outside. It was a small calligraphy store, with two small lanterns hanging outside. Reaching up to touch one of the lanterns, he was shocked to see his hand pass through the material, the edges of the lantern fading as he did so.

_What...?_ Passing his hand through two more times, his eyes widened in realization. _I'm not dreaming. This is...this is a virtual reality._ Waving his hand through the lantern once more, he thought, _And a poorly-designed one at that. Nothing of my creation._

He turned and looked down the length of the street. A virtual reality. None of it was real. It was one relief off his shoulder, but that left one very important question. _How did I get here?_ He knelt down and reached forward to grab the leaf of a potted plant placed next to the store's entrance. His hand passed through one of the leaves but touched another. The texture felt somewhat real, the game tricking Seto's fingers into thinking the smoothness of the leaf was authentic. But the fact that the plant was only partially completed upset Seto. _Trapped in a broken game. This really is Hell. _His eyes widened. _Shit, I better not be dead. _Scoffing at the thought, he shook his head and chuckled aloud. _Dammit, I'm still tired..._

He stood back up and crossed his arms over his chest. Closing his eyes, he reflected on the previous evening, hoping to remember a clue as to how he came to be here. _I came home. I had to have come home. I don't remember making any pit-stops on my way back from KaibaCorp. Did someone...kidnap me? No, there is no possible way. I have the highest level security in all of Japan. So then...was I leaving for work when something happened? Or did it happen at night? Why can't I remember anything?_ He growled and clenched his fists as he reopened his eyes. Glancing to his left, he decided to enter the store, hoping to find some sort of clue. He stepped inside, half expecting the game to completely break upon entering a new area. Surprisingly enough, the game held firm to his entry, and he found himself seamlessly walking around the interior.

It was a quaint enough store. Bookshelves lining the walls were filled with journals, pens, paper, and other writing utensils. A semi-circular, mahogany receptionist desk stood in the middle of the store with two registers set side by side. _This place lacks quite a bit of details,_ Seto thought as he began scanning the bookshelves for anything that might stick out. _Whoever the loser is that designed this game should look into a new career. There is no finesse, no research done on how to properly make a realistic virtual reality. _As if to prove his own point, Seto reached forward to grab a book and found that his hand went through it. _Let me guess, they do the outdated "make an item sparkle to signify it's important" trick. No realism, and no respect for the technology._

That still didn't explain how he had been put into such an atrocious game in the first place, but he figured that could wait until after he woke up. _If I really am in a virtual reality, and the game designed for it is this poorly executed, getting out of here should be little trouble._ He continued walking around the store, figuring he could find some sort of hint or clue as to the game's exact purpose. _I need to find the goal of this game and complete it as quickly as possible. And let me guess...no HUD map or anything to help. _Indeed, there was nothing on Seto's body or vision that provided clues. _No inventory map. No duel disk. No map. No compass. What kind of crap is this? _He had the sneaking suspicion this is exactly what Hell would be like for him. _This doesn't even look like a Duel Monsters game. Of course, why would I try determining what type of game this is? It's in alpha, at the very least. The developers probably don't even know what type of game they're making, else they wouldn't have made it so horrible._

Seto could feel his temper rising as he thought more and more about being trapped in the game. It didn't help that he had no idea how he had been placed in such a game, but to be placed in such an awful game was even worse. _Whatever. Once I'm out of here, I'll be sure to let my tormentors know just how pathetic they truly are. That is, after they're arrested. _

Finding nothing of value, Seto exited the store and looked up and down the street. The sun had almost completely set by this point, with only a sliver of light reflecting in the night sky. _I should probably find a flashlight,_ he thought, his video game instincts kicking in. _Make it easier to look around in the dark. If whoever put me in here is trying to scare me with the dark, they have another thing coming. _

It was only another few buildings down to his left before he came across a small hardware store. Stepping inside, he found his hand went through the outline of the door and couldn't help but chuckle. _How pathetic..._ He flicked the light switch and frowned when no light came on. _Looks like a flashlight is certainly in order._ From what he could see, the store was designed in typical fashion, with shelves creating a series of aisles that eventually led up to the front cash registers. He noted that nobody was around but was unsurprised by such a state. _My captors certainly wouldn't want to give me someone who might help me, though I doubt anyone would be able to solve a virtual reality game better than myself. Suits me just as well. The last thing I need is to be babysitting some stupid companion. _He didn't know if he actually had captors, but it was the only logical conclusion he could come to. How else would he wake up in an unknown virtual reality with no memory of what happened beforehand? The thought didn't sit well with him, but mourning over the fact would get him nowhere.

He made his way past the cash registers and began to feel rather than see the merchandise, for the sun outside had set by this time, and the store was nearly pitch black. It didn't help that his hand traveled through most of the incomplete merchandise. _Whoever designed this game better have made the flashlights at least realistic. _Passing down another aisle after hitting the back of the store, Seto finally felt his hand come in contact with something rubbery. He grasped it and yanked it down from shelf, feeling around the thing. It was cylindrical, and sure enough, upon clicking a button, the top flashed on. He smirked victoriously before scanning the area with his new flashlight. _It's pitch black outside, too,_ he noted, his flashlight hitting the windows. Turning, he walked to the end of the aisle and scanned the back wall. The entrance to what was presumably a storage room was left open, several boxes visible beyond, while another door simply had a small sign reading "Employees Only" in the middle. _Might as well..._

Approaching the "Employees Only" door, he was surprised to find it locked. He sighed heavily and shook his head. _They got one door down, at least. Might give them some credit for a lousy attempt at a puzzle. _He used his flashlight to look back at the storage room. _If I were a lowly, idiotic programmer who aspired to make a half-assed game, where would I put a set of keys? _He followed his instincts and entered the room, figuring that searching the rest of the store would simply be a waste of time.

The storage room was just what he expected: a room filled with shelves that had ridiculously over-sized boxes scattered around. Some of the boxes came up to his waist, while others were tiny, as if holding computer parts. Seto shook his head in disgust but began scanning the tops of the boxes as well as underneath the shelves. _The key has to be around here somewhere..._ _Whoever created this game isn't smart enough to hide it anywhere unqiue. _He walked down the length of one of the aisles, using his flashlight to scan the shelves, and soon came to the end. He turned-

-and nearly tripped at the sight before him.

A small desk with a computer and several keys laid out on top was currently being occupied by a mannequin-looking woman. Her skin was pale, nearly white, and her long, black hair appeared wet, as it stuck to her shoulders. Using his flashlight, Seto took in her features and scowled in disgust. Blood poured from her eyes, and her mouth was gaping wide open. Her white dress was entirely covered in blood, with a small pool forming beneath her chair. Her left hand was placed in her lap, while her right hand reached forward, hovering slightly above the desk. Seto swallowed uncomfortably at the sight only to remind himself that he was still in a video game. _A lame jump scare tactic, meant to spook me for a whole five seconds,_ he thought, turning his flashlight from the statue to the keys on the desk. Sure enough, a few keys were placed about, one in particular shining brightly. He chuckled and took a step forward. _Just as I suspected. The shiny trick. Grabs the audience's attention and makes it easier to find pieces of puzzles._

Approaching the desk, Seto scanned several of the keys, smirking when he saw the shining one with a tag attached reading "Employee Key." He reached forward and grabbed it, surprised his hand didn't go directly through the desk as he did so. _Oh look, they got another thing-_

But his thought was interrupted by a sudden tightness around his wrist. Flinching, he shone his flashlight down on his wrist. His eyes widened in shock. It was a small, pale hand wrapped around his wrist, holding him in place.

The girl's hand.

He looked up and immediately regretted it. His eyes met her bloody ones, and she screamed directly in his ear before pushing him back with surprising force. Seto felt his hand release the flashlight as he fell backwards onto the floor. Reaching out, he swiped it and turned to look at the girl. She was now standing, the blood still dripping down onto the floor. As she slowly turned, she tilted her head somewhat to the side. Seto growled and quickly got to his feet. He watched her mechanical movements, looking for any sign of irregular behavior. For how poorly the virtual world around them was developed, he realized with mild astonishment that the woman was moving as normally as he was. There were no glitches, nothing suggesting her virtual reality simulation. _Someone spent all the money on enemies and nothing on the environment,_ he reflected. He growled when she took a step towards him, the light of the flashlight reflecting off pale skin. _That certainly doesn't make my job easier._

The girl took another step. She was slow, but perhaps that was because Seto had yet to take a step. He merely stood, shining his flashlight on her. He decided to test the game. He took a step back. The girl noticed right away and screeched a second time. Seto flinched at the noise but took another step, then another, backtracking his way down the aisle. A sadistic thought entered his mind, and he smirked. _Let's see how good this AI really is. If the enemy AI is garbage, then I have nothing to worry about. They won't be able to strategize against me._

Taking it one step at a time, Seto felt his smirk widen as the girl simply followed him down the aisle, screeching now and again but never really reaching out to attack. Wanting to truly test her, he decided to loop her around the room, and instead of exiting through the door and back out into the store, he winded his way around the central shelves, backing up now to where the computer desk was. She continued following him at a slow but steady pace, her jerky movements meant to startle him but doing the reverse. _Just as I thought. A lame jump scare. _He took one final step back and blinked when she didn't follow him. _Ah well, that was fun. Time to actually use this key and get out of here. Though perhaps I should check out the computer first._

Seto took one final look at the ghost. She was still standing there, with her bleeding eyes and gaping mouth, but something seemed...off. _Perhaps she's glitching out,_ Seto reflected. Indeed, her eyes were no longer trained on him but rather _behind_ him, as if she was looking off into the far distance. _What a poorly designed piece of trash._ Shrugging his shoulders, Seto turned and went to walk towards the computer.

Instead, he bumped into something.

Or someone, as he quickly came to realize. Standing directly in front of him was another woman, this one with short, black hair. Wearing a long, blue dress that fell to the floor, she stared at him with empty eye sockets and a red mouth filled with blood. For a second, Seto's heart skipped a beat, but only because of the proximity. She was standing _right_ in front of him, and being as tall as him, she was imposing with her creepy face. Taking a second to control himself, he opened his mouth and said, "Well, what a surprise. Another jump-"

This woman didn't screech, but rather groaned as if in pain, before reaching out and grabbing him on the shoulder. Her grip was strong, surprisingly so. Dropping the flashlight, Seto went to grab her hand and jerk out of her grasp, but her other hand reached up and grabbed him by the throat. She groaned into his ear as her clammy, cold hands began to tighten around his neck. Lifting him with ease, she continued to groan. Seto's breath hitched in his throat. His heart pounded loudly within the temples of his skull. _What...what the...?!_ He tried to breathe and found it was becoming difficult. His eyes widened as he processed what was taking place.

_The ghost is strangling me._

Seto's survival mode kicked in a second too late. Just as he was about to punch her in the face, she groaned once more and shoved her free hand directly into his body. He felt it enter, ignoring all flesh and bone, as if piercing his ver y soul. A sudden pain flooded his entire system, setting every fibre of his being on fire. He cried out, the pain being completely unexpected, and felt himself beginning to weaken. He reached up, grabbing the hand suffocating him, but within seconds, his entire body was drained of energy. He felt his arms fall limply to his sides. His head felt heavy and rolled down onto her clammy hand. He felt her pull her hand back and release him.

Falling to the floor, Seto listened to the other ghost screech behind him. _What...what is..._ The ghost before him groaned. Seto's eyelids closed, and he heard no more as he sunk into darkness.


	3. 3 : A Friend

Hey everyone! I wanted to thank you all for checking out this story as well as for the comments and favorites! You guys are fantastic, as always, in giving me feedback on my work.

I also wanted to bring some attention to my profile page, as I've updated it with a few links concerning my personal blog as well as my writing projects. If you have any interest at all in what I do outside fanfictions, please take a moment to check out the links. I would definitely appreciate it!

Thanks again for all your support!

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><p>Chapter 3 : "A Friend"<p>

_It had been a decent day at work, all things considering. The two-hour meeting with Lindt Corporation, a German engineering company, had been cancelled last-minute due to complications, giving him some time to himself to work on the latest duel disk model. The duel disk would blow the competition away, as with his duel disk, players would be transported to a virtual reality that simulated the genre of their decks. His personal world, for instance, would portray a fantasy world of dragons, whereas a woman like Mai Valentine would have a world showcasing harpies and mountains. It would bring something fresh to the game and was something no other company would dare to dream to create._

_No other company but his. _

_"You look well, Mr. Kaiba," Kota greeted, smiling and bowing slightly at him. The sharp breeze caught his new butler's long, black hair, and he stood tall, nearly as tall as Seto, as he rose from his bowed position. Isono had the day off, Seto remembered, meaning it was Kota's night to drive him home._

_"Today went better than expected," he replied. He was curt with most everyone, but Kota and Isono were kind of like Mokuba. Close enough to know the complexities involved in his schedule. Understanding of his cold attitude. And they both actually did their jobs well and earned their pay. Not unlike most of the idiots he employed at KaibaCorp._

_Sliding into the leather seat of his limo, Seto closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the door being closed shut, letting a small smile cross his lips. He was ready to see Mokuba, give the kid a hug, ask how his day was. He was ready to put work down for the night and maybe play a game or two._

_He was ready to go home._

Opening his eyes, Seto bolted upright, gasping for air. Beads of sweat covered his brow, and he quickly wiped them away. _Wha... What?_ Looking around the room, his eyes widened when he recognized the furniture surrounding him. He was in his bedroom. _What the... What...happened? What was that? How did I..._ He looked outside. It was dark, with the moon shining brilliantly in the sky. Glancing over, he saw it was around 2:00 in the morning. He sighed heavily and leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

_What a strange... No, was it a dream?_ He blinked in shock as the memory of his "dream" flooded back to him. The computer, the strange town, and those two women. Quickly looking down at himself, he gasped when he saw the metal armbands still around his wrists, his black outfit and vest still on his body. _But... But that woman, she..._

Seto's arms fell to his side as he realized with great shock what happened. _If that truly was a virtual reality, and I was attacked by that woman, then does that mean... Did she... I died. I died in the game. And now...have respawn._

Growling, he quickly got up from the bed. He stormed towards the door, twisting the knob right and left, kicking and punching at it. The door remained stuck. He didn't know what he expected, but finding it still locked made him curse. His temper threatened to consume him, his anger and confusion combining to form an almost blind rage, but swallowing back the anger, he took in a large breath of air and tried to calm his mind. "Clearly those women weren't just pathetic holograms," he thought aloud, turning to lean against the door. "Whoever designed this game...designed it with the express intent to harm me."

It was the only way he could explain it. _I didn't give those women credit because the game is so glitchy. Kami, I was putting my hand through lanterns. Sure, that bloody-eyed, freaky girl could touch me, but I never thought I could be...killed. I only know of one virtual reality game that pulls this sort of stunt, and while it is a popular game, it's by no means the norm. People don't like respawning in places. It's so unnatural. But if I was killed, how did I respawn here, in my bedroom? Is that just the way this game was made? Why is that the case? To keep me from my objective, whatever the hell that is?_

It made sense. If someone wanted to keep the CEO trapped in a virtual reality, making him respawn in the furthest possible location was a genius idea, as much as he hated to admit it. _Whoever did this designed this game so that I constantly loop if I die. I wasn't just attacked, else I would've woken up in the same spot as before. I died. And I respawned here. Those women, or ghosts, or whatever the hell they were, they clearly have an advantage over me. I never felt that weak before. _Indeed, the memory of his energy draining, of the pain in his system, and of falling to the ground flooded his mind and made him shiver. The woman's face seemed scarred into his brain, her empty eye sockets and bloody mouth having been inches from his face. _I can't engage with those things unless I have a weapon, and I highly doubt someone designed this game to give me an advantage. _

Pushing himself off the door, Seto went to look outside, to see what lie beyond his simple room, when he heard a crunching noise beneath his feet. He blinked in surprise and looked down. Beneath his foot was the note that had been slid under the door. _That's right... I was going to examine this after I checked my email,_ he thought, kneeling down to reach it. _That was, before I got sucked in._

He picked it up and held it in front of him. The writing was typed, meaning he wouldn't be able to determine who wrote it, and the message was relatively short.

"Kaiba," he read aloud, "you may think this is your real bedroom, but it is not. It is a cheap imitation, meant to serve as your base. You are in a virtual reality. This bedroom is connected to a video game currently being developed. The game itself is on your computer; just stand in front of a computer, and you will be transported to and from this room to the game. Computers in the game work in the same fashion. If you wish to permanently escape, however, you must beat this game.

You are meant to stay here for eternity, but follow my instructions, and you will make it out. I and one other person will help you. He should be waiting for you in the virtual reality within the next few hours. Use him to help get yourself out.

I will try to send messages as often as possible. Please, Kaiba, do NOT underestimate this game. Else it may very well consume you.

- A friend"

Seto wanted to scoff at the message, and if he had read it prior to entering the computer, he would have. But having been killed already, he knew the contents of the letter to be true, as bizarre as it sounded. _But who is "a friend?"_ he thought, scanning over the letter once more. _Who is trying to help me? And who is this second person? I didn't run into anyone other than the two women. It says a few hours...how long have I been in this game?_

The letter did, however, answer one of his questions. He had been kidnapped. There was no way he would be receiving such a message if he was in the comfort of his own virtual reality simulator at home, for he certainly never designed a game like this. _Besides, my virtual reality is much more fluid than this. But that means I'm in a dangerous virtual reality, one that clearly wishes to kill me time and time again. But then...where am I? In the real world?_

The thought made him bite his lower lip. Placing the piece of paper on his bed, he stood and walked over to the window. Looking out, he could see the moon hanging overhead, his personal gardens beyond. Just like in the real world. The resemblance was uncanny and unsettled him further. _I wonder... I wonder if Mokuba is okay. _He groaned at the mere thought of his little brother. _Shit, what happened to me? How was I put in this game? Why can't I remember what happened prior to being here? I thought I came home from work, just like every other night. Did something happen? It had to have, but then...what? And how? _

For the first time since waking, Seto Kaiba was actually unnerved about the situation. _It may have been designed poorly, but this virtual reality is meant to be a prison. And who knows where on Earth my body is in the real world right now. Mokuba... Mokuba has to be looking for it. Until I can get a hold of him, though..._ Turning to glance back at the paper on the bed, he thought, _Looks like I'm going to have to rely on this "friend" if I want to get out._

The thought was hard to swallow. Seto Kaiba didn't ask for help. But contrary to popular belief, he wasn't so foolhardy as to think he could get through this without something or somebody. _Until I can remember what happened to me, I need someone else's input. Even if it is from a piece of paper. Though I would like to know how trustworthy of a source this "friend" is. Perhaps this "friend" is nothing more than another part of the game, meant to keep me in a neverending loop. _Walking over, he picked it up and reread it one more time. His eyes stopped when it came to the part about a second person waiting for him. _Who knows how long it's been since I was 'killed' in the game. Perhaps this person is already there? But how are they entering? If the guy who wrote this letter wants to help me, and the people who made this game want to harm or even kill me...how do the two add up?_

There were too many questions that he knew he simply couldn't answer standing around in the room. His eyes slowly wandered over to his computer, where he saw the screen had changed to show the back storage room of the hardware store. _That's right. There was a computer on that freaky woman's desk, next to the keys. I wonder if each computer acts as a sort of "save point." _He couldn't believe he was having to put video game terminology to what was taking place, but he knew that if he was going to out think this game, he was going to have to recognize it for what it was: a game.

_Guess I better find this person. _Setting the note down once more, Seto approached the computer. He sat in the chair and waited for the sensation of teleporting to surround him. As he felt himself be transferred, he quickly thought, _Don't worry, Mokuba. I'll find a way out of here. Soon._


	4. 4 : An Unwanted Ally

Hello again, everyone!

So I know I've posted these first four chapters pretty quickly, but I warn that, with the holiday this week, this might be the only update for the remainder of the week. I'll be busy dealing with family and being with my boyfriend. I'm going to try and update my blog (which you can find on my profile page), but this story probably won't see an update until Friday or Saturday.

I hope everyone has a great holiday week! Thanks for all your support with this story thus far! It's always fun coming back here!

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><p>Chapter 4 : An Unwanted Ally<p>

The first emotion he felt upon entering the storage unit was relief. Both the women were gone, leaving him alone in the room. That gave him some time to think, at least. He was worried, upon entering, that he would be immediately ambushed by the two, but fortunately for him, they had since left. Feeling something in his hand, he glanced down to see a small key. _The "Employees Only" key..._ he reflected. _That's right. I was killed shortly after finding the key. It must remain in my inventory, so to speak, if I die and respawn in my bedroom._ He _really_ wanted to scoff at thinking in such terms, but he swallowed back that desire. _I didn't take this game seriously before, and it killed me. This may be a garbage game, but clearly there are some things I shouldn't underestimate._

Like the two women.

_Where did they go? _Peeking around the corner, he saw no trace of them._ Do the enemies in this game move around? Are they randomized? _He crossed his arms as he continued looking down the length of the room for any clues as to where they went._ Even the most 'randomized' of monsters in video games have an algorithm that tells them how to respond. Those women are no different. If I could just isolate their movements, perhaps watch one for a short period of time, I might be able to determine how they move and what triggers them. Then I could steer clear of them and focus on my objective...which I have yet to determine._ Seto growled in frustration. _Forget it. Fiinding and following those women would just waste my time. I need to determine what I'm supposed to accomplish and-_

"Heeeeeey!"

Seto blinked in shock at the noise. The voice had been muffled, so muffled he questioned for a second if he had even heard it. Taking a step forward, he began to hear what sounded like someone banging against an object. It was too soft a noise to be taking place inside the storage unit. He took another step forward. The noises continued. Walking to the end of the backroom, he saw the door had been closed shut. By what, he didn't know. He grabbed the knob and slowly opened it. The banging wasn't coming from the door, either, and as he opened the door, he was slightly put off by the sheer darkness in the building. However, the sound was much louder, and he could distinguish the shouting as coming from a man. _Is this my other "friend?"_ he thought. The banging continued, and as Seto's eyes scanned the area, he remembered having come here to find a flashlight. _Shit, what happened to that thing?_

"Hey, anybody out there?!"

He immediately turned in the direction of the sound. He saw the "Employees Only" door moving as if someone was punching or kicking against it. The voice was still too muffled to make out clearly, and for a split second, Seto thought twice about opening the door. _It could be a trap, or another of those women in disguise, but..._ He shrugged his shoulders. _If it is an enemy, I know now that I need to run._

Taking the key in his hand, Seto approached the door and placed the key in the slot. He turned it and slowly turned the knob in the hopes of surprising whatever was inside.

Instead, the door flung wide open, and he was hurled forward into someone, landing hard on the floor on top of them.

"Kaiba!"

Seto's eyes shot open. His first thought was, _I am in Hell._

Jounouchi Katsuya. The person beneath him was none other than the mutt.

"Kaiba, you're here!" Feeling two hands on his shoulders, Seto was pushed up. Beneath him was the third-rate duelist, the boy's brown eyes as wide as his cheeky grin, his blonde hair in its usual undone manner.

_I died. This is Hell. There is no way...how did..._

"What, too stunned to see me that you can't say hello?" Jounouchi joked, pushing Kaiba up further so that the two were now sitting. Regaining himself, Kaiba coldly stood from his position, refusing to offer a hand to the mutt. "Ah, whatever. If you still got your charms, then you can't be in all that bad of condition. Though you seriously had us worried, ya know?"

"How the hell did you get here, Jounouchi?" Kaiba demanded, his confusion quickly being replaced by his anger. _Whoever thought it would be funny to send this moron as my companion is going to regret their sense of humor very quickly._

"Through one of your virtual simulators," the third-rate duelist answered, standing up as he did so. Seto watched as he brushed off his pants before grinning at him.

He blinked in shock. "Then...am I at KaibaCorp?" he asked, a ray of hope entering his thoughts.

This time, it was Jounouchi who blinked in shock. "Wait, so you don't know where you are, either?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"And here I thought this would be easy! Well, ta answer your question, no, you aren't in KaibaCorp," Jounouchi started. "Mokuba called me and the gang, let's see...probably around 10 pm. Yeah, 'cuz we were playin' that new PS4 game, and we were just about to-"

"Skip the useless details," Seto interrupted, having little patience for the dog's life story. "I want to know just what the hell is going on and how you got here."

"Sheesh, if that's how you're going to be, maybe I'll just head back to the real world then!" Jounouchi countered, crossing his arms over his chest as if to mock Seto. Seto merely growled but let the second or two slide by. "Anywho, before I was rudely interrupted, Mokuba called us and said you had yet to come home. He didn't know if, for some odd reason, we knew where ya went off to. We said no and offered to help search the city, and it was maybe a half hour later that we got another call. Your butler, that guy, uh...what was his name..."

"Kota?"

"Yeah, Kota! Well, Kota came home and said you never left KaibaCorp. He was supposedly waiting for you to leave or come home or whatever, but you never did. So we all made a rush for KaibaCorp, but we still couldn't find ya! We were just about to give up when Mokuba got the brilliant idea to check the basement, where you keep all your cool gadgets." Jounouchi's cheeky grin told Seto that he had seen more than his fair share of KaibaCorp secrets, and the mere notion sent jolts of hatred through the CEO's system. Before he could vent, however, the mutt continued. "So we went downstairs, and while we didn't find you, we saw a note taped on one of the virtual reality pods. It said, "If you wanna see your brother, you gotta use this simulator," or something like that. I volunteered since Yuugi had to go home with the others 'cuz it's so late. And, well, here I am! I landed in this stupid locked room, but fortunately you unlocked the door just as I started callin' out!"

Seto felt his eyes widen, his arms go limp by his sides, as Jounouchi finished his story. _So, I'm missing in the real world. I never did come home last night. Then something must have happened at KaibaCorp. But...but what? And again, how? How on Earth did someone sneak into my headquarters and capture me? I have the highest level security at headquarters, second only to my home. I have cameras on every floor, practically at every corner. I have sensors, security lockdowns in place for emergencies, security personnel-_

"Uh, Kaiba?" Seeing the mutt's hand waving in front of his face, Seto quickly swiped it aside and growled at the blonde. To his dismay, Jounouchi chuckled and shrugged at the gesture. "Just wanted to make sure you were still here. Dunno how these games work; you mighta glitched or somethin'!"

"I am not glitched," Seto retorted harshly. "I am just thinking how I'm going to get out of here."

"So you can't leave?"

Seto scoffed. "No, idiot, I can't leave, else I would have done so already."

"Well, I mean, I can. I don't know how these things work like someone here. I don't play with VR all day. But it looks like I can only access it through one of your virtual simulators. Mokuba is watching over it now. We were hoping we'd find you, and your genius brother would use the VR to locate your real body."

_Mokuba!_ "Is Mokuba all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, he's fine. Worried sick about you, but fine."

The news caused him to openly sigh in relief. _Whoever planned this stunt came for me, not him. At least he's safe. And, if the mutt is telling the truth, then he is looking for me. _

"Yo, so...you don't remember what happened to ya?"

Seto shook his head. "I woke up here...in this game. And that's about it."

"Geez, you sure do make some bizarre enemies, Kaiba. I thought we'd be done with all this kidnapping stuff after the whole Egypt fiasco. Though I guess your sunshine attitude doesn't help with that. Can't imagine you've made many friends in the past few years."

Seto felt his hands clench into fists. "I don't think insulting me is the way to get me out here," he all but shouted. "So why don't you do us all a favor and go back to the real world? I can figure this game out on my own."

"Not according to the note we got," Jounouchi retorted, causing Seto to frown in confusion. "According to our note, it said two people had to beat the game, else it would loop or somethin'. A pretty fullproof plan, since you ain't got no friends, but hey, you're lucky enough that I offered to help. See what a nice guy I am?"

"I would rather be alone," Seto shot back, though with less venom that before. _If that is true, that two people are somehow required to beat the game... I either remain in this Hell, or suffer a greater Hell in order to escape._ His options were few. Mentally sighing, he asked, "Did the note say anything else about this game?"

"Just that I would find you if I entered, that two people were needed, and, uh...oh! That the person who wrote this note will continue writing notes to us. I dunno how, but it said we would get in contact with him in the game."

_My note... _Seto nodded in understanding, noting but ignoring the look of confusion on Jounouchi's face._ So Jounouchi is indeed the person sent to help me. Kami, this is ridiculous. _

"So, you know what'cha gotta do to get outta this game?" asked Jounouchi. Seto glanced over at him. Working with the third-rate duelist was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted to do, but he knew the blonde wasn't lying, either. _I may loathe the kid, but he's honest. A little too honest, but I've seen him enough with Yuugi-tachi to know better. He's not a hologram, else I wouldn't have run into him, and I highly doubt he has any substantial information on how to get out of here. And then there's Mokuba..._ Mokuba being alone in the real world didn't sit well with him. His hand instinctively reached up and wrapped around the card necklace hanging around his neck.

_Mokuba... _Mentally sighing, he looked back at Jounouchi and said, "No, I don't know. All I know is..."

But he trailed off as a familiar sound pierced his ears. A groan. Jounouchi must have heard it, too, for his eyes widened in shock. Seto turned back once more and growled.

It was the woman in blue from before.


	5. 5 : A Safe Room

Hey everyone! Hope your holidays were relaxing and enjoyable! As a sort of late Christmas present, I give you chapter 5 of the story!

Thanks to everyone who has checked it out, read it, and commented on it! You guys are fantastic!

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><p>Chapter 5 : A Safe Room<p>

"Gaah, what the hell is that?!" Jounouchi shouted, pointing at the woman standing before them. Seto clenched his fists and swallowed hard. He remembered the sensation of her reaching into his body, draining his energy, and leaving him on the floor to die. He shivered as her head seemed to scan the room without eyes.

"She's some sort of...monster," Seto explained. "Designed to kill us in this game." He squirmed as she took a step forward, twitching in an unnatural manner as she did so.

"What?! And how are we supposed to fight her without Duel Monsters? I don't know 'bout you, but I don't got my deck here!"

"We're not..." The woman was standing in the doorway, blocking their exit. She took another step towards them, and both he and Jounouchi instinctively took a step back. Blood was pouring out of her empty eye sockets, and her mouth formed into a sadistic smile as she continued to slowly approach them. Seto glanced back and was relieved to see an emergency exit behind them. He then turned to look at Jounouchi. The blonde's eyes were wide in shock, and his face had paled slightly. "Can you follow simple instructions?"

"Huh?!" Turning to look at him, Jounouchi stuttered, "Uh, y-y-yeah! What do you need me to do?!"

"Follow me. And keep quiet."

Turning on his heels, Seto dashed towards the emergency exit and burst through the door. Immediately, the siren for the building went off, and Seto could hear the growls, moans, and screams of nearby enemies. He turned just long enough to see Jounouchi following him before running out and around the building towards the street. He could hear enemies, but the darkness kept them hidden in the shadows. Seto didn't know whether he preferred it that way or not. He pushed open a wooden gate and soon came out into the street.

"Do you know where you're going, Kaiba?!" Jounouchi shouted behind him.

Seto growled. "No! And I said, keep quiet!"

He looked up and down the street. Without his flashlight, he could barely make out anything, and he knew enemies were lurking around them. He could hear them, their grunts, their sighs. Shadows of enemies appeared around the lanterns, but he couldn't make out their actual bodies in the darkness. He couldn't guess how many were around them, but he knew he couldn't just stand there.

_Do I go back the way I came?_ he thought. _Or try going forward?_

Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Jounouchi coming up right behind him. Just as he was about to stop, however, the blonde pointed forward and shouted, "Gyaaah!"

Seto turned only to flinch in shock. The woman in blue was standing in front of them!

_How the hell-_ There was no time to think. She reached forward, screeching with a piercing voice as she did so. Seto just barely dodged her grasp, and he realized to his dismay that the woman had grabbed onto Jounouchi's shoulder. The blonde screamed in shock, drawing even more attention, and Seto could hear the footsteps of others approaching. He saw the woman raise her hand as if to strike him. "Jounouchi!" He rushed forward and tackled the woman with his shoulder, causing her to release her grip. She screeched again as she was pushed off-balance by the attack.

Seto barely had time to react when he felt a hand grab onto his own shoulder. He cringed and flung himself forward, lurching his arm out of the creature's grasp. He then looked up to see that Jounouchi was already running down the street. _Shit, that idiot!_ He ran forward, ignoring the shadows of the enemies following him. Quickly catching up with the blonde, he shouted, "Do you even know where the hell you're going?"

"Away from that crazy bitch!" Jounouchi responded.

Seto growled but continued following the mutt, somewhat surprised by how fast he could move. Eventually the two reached an intersection, and Seto was surprised when he saw Jounouchi trip and fall forward. "Gah, what the hell?!"

He glanced down to see two perpendicular indents set in front of him. _Train tracks... Maybe they lead somewhere? Maybe a train station..._

He listened as the blonde rose to his feet and looked up the length of the tracks. There were lights hovering in front of several buildings, illuminating the street enough for Seto to get his bearings. Several blocks up, he could see a small train station, the awning covering nearly the entire width of the street and illuminating the train tracks below. _Perhaps they have a map of this place,_ he thought. _It would be nice if a train took us out of here; however, I highly doubt my luck is that good tonight. _Glancing over at Jounouchi, he frowned and shook his head. _Guess we have no choice._

"Come on, Jounouchi," he stated. "We're going to the train station."

Jounouchi blinked in surprise as he finished brushing the dirt off his pants. "Eh? What for?"

"To get away from those freaks and find ourselves a map of this town." Seto didn't know if they were following, but he wanted to at least turn the corner before chancing a peek back the way they came.

"R-Right... Sounds good."

_At least he's not fighting me._ The two began walking down the street, and Seto noted the lack of enemies that seemed to be around them. He had felt trapped back at the store, but standing out in the street, he felt surprisingly more safe, as if all the enemies had migrated to the store, leaving this area clean. He could hear a moan or a sigh every few seconds, but he by no means felt as intimidated as he had before. _And that woman in blue has yet to appear... Just who is she? How did she teleport to the outside of the building that quickly?_

Now that he knew he was in the clear, Seto felt the need to move quietly and chose to simply walk. As he did so, he scanned their surroundings, hoping to make mental notes of where they were and what places were around them. The buildings were all styled traditionally, with screen doors, hanging lanterns, and shingled roofs. Plaques for the shops' names were posted over the entrance doorways, and the windows revealed darkness inside most of the buildings. He felt as if he had traveled back in time, like he was visiting a town in the Meiji era, though there was nothing to indicate if the scenery was based on a real town or entirely fictional.

As he continued examining the buildings they passed, however, he felt Jounouchi staring intently at him. He let it go for the first minute but soon felt that the blonde wanted him for something. "What?" he finally asked, glancing over to look at him.

"Uh...just, um... Thanks. For saving me from that woman." Jounouchi blushed slightly and placed his hands in his pockets. "Didn't expect that kind of kindness from you. And damn if that woman didn't take me by surprise!"

Seto scoffed. "Don't let her touch you. She already killed me once."

By now, the two had reached their second intersection. Seto checked behind them and mentally smirked when he didn't see anyone, or rather any_thing_, following them. He then returned his attention forward; they were now closing in on the train station.

"Wait, what? How did she 'kill' you if you're still standing here?"

Seto sighed in frustration as he rolled his eyes. "This is a video game, Jounouchi. You can die without dying in the real world."

"Did you respawn somewhere?"

"Yeah..." He didn't know if he should tell the blonde about respawning in his bedroom. Even he was trying to figure that one out.

"Shit, man. So whoever designed this clearly didn't want us to have a good time, huh?"

Seto growled. "No, you idiot, they didn't. They wanted to torture me. I don't know who it was that did it, but I swear, when I get out-"

"L-Let's just focus on getting out of here, first," Jounouchi interrupted. Seto turned to see the blonde now standing next to him. He had that cheeky grin slapped across his face, and he gave Seto a thumbs up as his grin widened. "We'll get'cha outta here and figure out where you are in the real world. Once we make sure you're safe, then you can worry 'bout kickin' the butts of whoever did this to ya. And don't worry. I'll help ya out."

Seto stopped and felt his shoulders sink slightly. He couldn't believe he was being put into this position of having to rely on the mutt for support, but he was in no position to reject it, either. _Besides, I suppose it could be worse. I could be forced to get out of here with another of Yuugi's gang... Although really, to be fair, none of them are much worse than Jounouchi... Maybe that Honda moron..._

Jounouchi seemed to sense Seto's anger, for he chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, we don't have to be friends, but it's not like I totally hate your guts and want you to suffer for eternity in this place, ya know? Plus, I don't like seeing your little bro Mokuba so upset. He was freakin' out when he talked with us, enough to make me worry about your rich ass. So come on, what do you say? Truce?" The blonde held out his hand, still smiling up at the CEO.

"I say we find ourselves a map in the train station," Seto retorted, walking past the third-rate duelist and crossing the street. He could hear the mutt make a smartass comment behind him but chose to ignore it. _The sooner we find a map, the sooner we can find our destination. Then maybe we can figure out just how the hell to get out of here. And then, I can see Mokuba..._

_Mokuba..._

"Jounouchi, where is Mokuba?"

"Uh, I thought I already told ya?"

"Well tell me again, you idiot."

"Sheesh, Mr. Attitude. He's monitoring the game now. I don't know if he can actually see what we're doing, but he's looking at my pod to see if he can find ya."

Seto sighed heavily. _He better be safe. That's all I care about. If he can use Jounouchi's pod to find me, all the better. But so long as he is safe... Jounouchi shouldn't be here. He should be with Mokuba. They all should be with Mokuba. Once we figure out what we're doing, I'm going to tell him to go back. But then..the question remains. Should Jounouchi return to help me? _The thought made Seto's stomach turn, but as they reached the small train station and climbed up the rickety, wooden stairs, he remembered what Jounouchi had first said in the office. _The note left behind for him noted that two people were required to beat the game. I don't know how that is possible, and I don't know if it is a trap, but would I rather be safe than sorry? Would I rather go through this game with Jounouchi than on my own only to find I needed him all along?_

Finding the main office, Seto glanced inside to see it barren. There were no flyers, no brochures, and no maps whatsoever. _Shit... That is going to make things difficult. We will have to simply remember where we are in relation to everything else. Of course they wouldn't make this-_

"Shit, that WAS easy!"

Seto growled and closed his eyes. Already, Jounouchi's voice was grating him. He turned and nearly shouted when he realized Jounouchi was standing in front of a door. A door with a star on it.

"What was easy?" he questioned, staring curiously at the door.

"What, you never found one of these?" Jounouchi turned to look at Seto while pointing at the door in front of him.

"No..."

"Man, someone really DID just drop you in here! Apparently there are these "star room" things. I don't know, it's supposed to be easy to find or see or something. But they act as safe rooms. Apparently if I find one, there's an item that lets me exit the game. Who knows, maybe it will work for you, too!"

"Doubtful," Seto retorted. "How do you know this?"

"It was in that note that guy left behind."

"What guy?"

"Uh, the guy who left the note on the pod."

Seto rolled his eyes. Jounouchi shrugged and pushed the door open. The first thing Seto noted was light. A bright light. The two quickly entered, and Seto shut the door behind him before glancing around the room.

It was barely furnished, containing a low sofa, two mats to kneel on, and a low wooden table, on which was a burning candle. The light was coming from a large fireplace in the back that provided warmth to the room. "Yeah, this is it!" Jounouchi exclaimed. He quickly rushed over and sat down by the table.

"What is 'it'?" asked Seto. "There's nothing here."

"There's this candle!" Smiling widely, Jou pointed at the candle. "This tells us if it is night or day outside. I guess that makes a big deal in this game. I don't know why, but we're supposed to use these candles to know when it's safe to exit the room."

"I see..." Walking over to the sofa, Seto took his seat. "So is that what you use to exit the game?"

"Not sure..." Scratching his head, Jounouchi glanced around the room before shrugging his shoulders. "Guess so. It's the only thing here!" He held his hand out close to the flame, and Seto watched in shock as a holographic menu appeared in front of Jounouchi, simply asking him if he wished to end the game. "Yo, Rich Boy! Try it out!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Jumping out of his seat, Seto lunged forward and placed his hand next to the small flame. He knew it was a long shot, but still, his heart sank slightly when no menu appeared. He simply felt the warmth of the flame close to his hand. Frowning, he took his hand back and slowly leaned back against the sofa.

"Aw man, guess that would've been too easy." Yawning, Jounouchi took his hand away, causing the menu to disappear, and stretched his arms out. "Shit man, I hate to be like this, but it's probably super late in the real world. I'mma head back and tell Mokuba all about what I saw, then I probably gotta go to bed. I promise to come back after I rested to help you, a'ight? Or at least someone will be back. We'll help ya through this, since it seems you can't do it alone."

The thought didn't sit well at all with Seto, but he knew he couldn't let Jounouchi remain in the virtual pod if he was tired. He wasn't that heartless, and if Jounouchi's information was accurate, the room would somehow keep him safe. And while he didn't like to admit it, he himself was becoming tired, though he wasn't sure how. He slowly nodded his head. "Tell Mokuba... Tell Mokuba I am fine," he instructed. "Have Kota begin searching the city for me, and make sure Mokuba has Kota or Isono by his side 24/7. I will not have my brother risking his life over me. Tell him he is _not_ to enter the virtual pod to find me. Have him send you or Yuugi or one of your group."

Jounouchi smiled and nodded. "You got it. Stay safe, man." Holding his hand back up to the flame, Jounouchi used his other hand to click 'Yes' on the menu. Seto watched as his image disappeared, leaving him alone in silence. He slowly climbed up onto the sofa and laid down, closing his eyes. He thought he would merely rest his eyes, but within seconds, the warmth of the fire entered his system, the comforting cushion sinking slightly with his weight. It wasn't long before he felt himself doze off to sleep.


	6. 6 : Daybreak

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thanks again for all the comments and views! You guys are amazing, as always!

I also wanted to say that I feel this story is... I don't know, of worse quality than my usual writing. I'm not as happy with it as I would like to be, mostly from the writing style than the actual content. I have revised the plot to make it much, much better and, I hope, more enjoyable for you all (you guys won't notice the changes, but it's for future chapters), but I still feel something is kind of lacking. I also noticed I used the name "Kota" again, forgetting that I had used that name in a previous fanfic, so I apologize if that's caused any confusion. But if you feel there needs to be more description, if the dialogue is bad, etc. etc., let me know. I think it's because I'm not used to writing a Seto/Jou fanfic, and it might just be my nerves, but again, if you feel there's a need for improvement in any area, please take the time out to comment about it. Thanks again!

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><p>Chapter 6 : Daybreak<p>

"Kaiba..."

_Hearing the driver's door open and close, Seto watched as Kota took his seat behind the wheel. The limo soon came to life underneath him, and Seto closed his eyes as he inhaled and slowly exhaled. It always hit him, how tired he truly was, when he sat down in the car. While in his office, his brain was running at full capacity, not allowing him a moment to reflect on how exhausting the day was. But sitting in the car or limo, he felt it all hit him. _

"Yo, Kaiba."

_"Mr. Kaiba, do you have any plans for this evening?"_

_At that, Seto opened his eyes and frowned. "Why are you asking, Kota?" he inquired. "Isn't that your job to know?"_

_Kota chuckled. Seto's frown deepened; he never heard Kota chuckle like that before. "I suppose it is..."_

"Kaiba, wake up!"

Opening his eyes, Seto flinched at the set of two large, hazel eyes staring down at him. "The hell...?" He sighed in disgust, however, when he realized who it was. "Jounouchi..."

"You got it!" the mutt exclaimed. He smiled widely and stood up, holding his hand out to help Seto. Still feeling a bit tired, Seto didn't think much of taking the duelist's hand and using him as support to help him sit up. "Man, you were out cold. I thought you would never wake up!"

"I'm not dead," Seto countered, wiping his eyes before slowly standing from his position. He glanced around to see that they were still in the starred room, though the candle and fireplace were both no longer lit. "What time is it?"

"In the real world, or here?"

"Both."

"Well, in the real world, it's about eight a.m," Jounouchi answered. Seto noted he was in different attire than before; he was wearing a dark green t-shirt with jeans and his usual denim jacket. His hair was still as messy as ever, though. "As for the game, I dunno. I didn't check outside yet."

"I...see." Wiping the last of his sleep from his eyes, Seto inhaled and quickly exhaled before glancing over at the third-rate duelist. "So what is going on in the real world?"

Jounouchi smiled. Not that usual cheeky smile, but a comforting one. One that told Seto he had actually done something productive. "I told Mokuba all about what happened to us last night. He and Isono are workin' hard to track ya down, while Kota is stickin' behind to help me help you."

"Kota is watching us?" asked Seto.

"Yeah. He figured it'd be good to have someone around in case somethin' happened, ya know?"

Seto merely nodded. His dream briefly flashed before his mind, causing him to shudder slightly, but he quickly brushed it off. _That was just a silly dream. Kota has been working for me for nearly a year now. And I don't recall him ever acting like that. It's just my nerves after being stuck in this virtual reality with the mutt._

"Hey, you a'ight?"

"I'm fine," Seto retorted, returning his gaze to look at the duelist. "Did you learn anything else about this game? An objective, a path we are supposed to take?"

"No, not really," Jounouchi admitted. "But I took off work so I could help ya. Yuugi and the others are with Mokuba searchin' for ya, and since I already played this game once, we all thought it'd be best if I just continued taggin' along with ya."

"Taking off work?" Seto blinked in surprise. "Why the hell would you take off work to help me?"

"Uh, 'cuz you're kidnapped and who knows where," Jounouchi answered, his eyes widening in shock as though the thought of leaving an enemy behind was foreign to him. "'Sides, we might fight and all that, but I saw those creatures who chased us. Whoever made this thing clearly has a grudge against you. And you're gonna need someone else to beat this game, whether you like it or not."

"That still doesn't explain why _you_ of all people want to help," Seto countered, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so.

Jounouchi shrugged before smirking over at him. "What can I say? I'm too nice a guy. But no, to be honest, I'd much rather be helpin' ya out than going to work. And Kota said he would convince ya to pay me a day's wages, which shouldn't be too much of a hassle for the big, bad CEO, right?"

_Probably not_. Seto didn't know where Jounouchi worked, but he was sure he could buy the company out, let alone pay the mutt's daily wages. _And quite frankly, it's probably pointless fighting about this. I need someone to be here with me to complete this game. Might as well be Jounouchi, at this point._

"So, did ya just sleep the whole time I was gone?" Seto looked up to see Jounouchi walking around the room as if looking for something. "I kept thinkin' about the game, what our objective might be or what-not, but I got nothin'."

"Hmph, doesn't surprise me," Seto countered. Jounouchi shot him a glare but continued walking. "But no, I... I just slept."

"Don't you think that's odd, though?"

Seto frowned. "What's odd?"

"I dunno. That you're in a video game, but you feel the need to sleep."

Seto's frown deepened. "I've been knocked unconscious in a virtual reality before, Jounouchi. It's not that much of a stretch of the imagination."

"I guess, though getting knocked unconscious isn't the same as sleeping. Do you think something is going on in the real world to make you feel tired?"

Seto felt his stomach flip at the mere thought. _I've been so worried about figuring out this game that I never even thought of my real body. _He shook his head. _All the more reason to find a way out of here, and fast._

"Let's go," he stated, turning on his heels.

"Go where?" asked Jounouchi. "It's not like we have an objective."

Seto sighed heavily. "We're not going to find our objective standing here. Besides, there is somewhere I want to check out."

"Where?"

"Just follow me."

He opened the door and listened as Jounouchi's footsteps echoed behind him. Stepping outside, he flinched at the bright sun hanging overhead, illuminating the entire village. _Daylight... It's morning._

With the sun shining down, it was much easier to take note of their location and the buildings surrounding them. He could see, far off in the distance, the path they had traveled the previous evening, the roads they had taken. Most of the buildings surrounding them were only two or three stories tall, and as he stepped down from the train platform onto the dirt pathway that was the town's main street, he realized the town was much smaller than he had first predicted. He also noted that there were no enemies in sight. _That will make things easier for us, since there appears to be no maps available. We can scout around and look for things during the daytime, then find those rooms at night for safety._

Hearing footsteps behind him, Seto turned to see Jounouchi smirk at him. The blonde shoved his hands in his pockets and asked, "So, uh, where we headin'?"

"I didn't wake up in this world," Seto explained. "I woke up in a room that was an imitation of my bedroom."

Jounouchi's eyes widened in confusion. "Eh? Then how'd ya get here?"

"Through my computer," Seto continued. "I came out through a different computer located in this world. When I was killed by that woman in blue, I respawned in my room and used my computer to again enter this world. I want to find a computer and see if it works in reverse."

"What was in your room?" Jounouchi asked.

"My things, of course," Seto countered. Ignoring Jounouchi's deadpanned expression, he added, "But...there was also a note. A note from someone, naming himself as a friend. It contained a clue as to what was happening."

"Maybe we'll find another clue, then, if we head back?"

Jounouchi's hopeful voice made Seto think it was possible. He nodded but sighed heavily as he continued scanning their surroundings. "Yes, but the only computer I know of in this world is back at the hardware store, and I don't feel like going back there. That woman in blue might appear." _But she also appeared outside the building,_ he remembered, his frown deepening as he did so. _So does that mean...she isn't confined to a single space?_ He glanced up and down the street. _Well, what matters is that no one is around now. It seems we have the day to explore and gain a better sense of our surroundings._

Turning, Seto saw Jounouchi point at one of the buildings in front of them. He asked, "So...we just wanna look around in these buildings? See if we can't find any computers?"

"I suppose that is our only option..."

"A'ight, I can dig it. Though I find it curious that there's computers in this place. I mean, it looks...rundown."

"'Traditional' is usually the word we use for this type of architecture," Seto countered, earning a growl from the blonde. He brought his hands out of his pockets to form them into fists, causing Seto to smirk victoriously.

"Can I say one damn thing without a smartass comment from you?"

Seto turned on his heels. The mutt was always so easy to annoy. "Depends on if you can say anything that doesn't deserve one."

He heard the blonde mutter, "I _really_ am too nice," but he brushed it off as he walked towards what appeared to be a small post office, a giant mailbox standing outside and two karts meant for hauling goods set next to it. Opening the screen door, Seto stepped inside. It was dusty, and a faint smell of rotting wood filled his nostrils, but he couldn't help but smile at what he found on the counter.

"Looks like we don't have to go back to the hardware store at all," he noted. Approaching the main desk, he snatched the small flashlight and clicked the button on. Sure enough, a small beam of light shone out.

"Man, whoever made this game is weird," Jounouchi remarked. Seto glanced over to see that the mutt had entered as well. "I mean, computers? Flashlights? I know I didn't pay much attention in history class, but... They seem kinda out of place."

"Whoever made this game is a delusional moron who chose to pick a fight with the wrong person," Seto corrected. "And he has no respect for the technology he is working with." To prove his point, Seto reached out to ring the bell for service only to have his hand go through the bell and landed on the long, wooden counter beneath. Jounouchi's face paled slightly at the scene.

"Damn... So, this game isn't even really finished?"

"No. So I highly doubt whoever designed this cared if one object held any significance to those surrounding it. He probably just threw together things he liked and thought it justified as a game."

"Then how were those bitches from last night grabbin' onto us and stuff?"

"My guess is that the enemies were completed in order to cause the most harm. The environments were left relatively untouched since it doesn't matter. The person who designed this knows he or she couldn't hurt us with a bell, but making sure the enemies could grab us was presumably a worthwhile investment."

"You think that means there isn't a way out? I mean, if the game is incomplete..."

Seto frowned as his lips pursed together. "There has to be a way out," he simply muttered, his voice lower than he desired. To his surprise, Jounouchi smiled and nodded before glancing around the room.

"Right! So, uh...any idea where we might find a computer?"

Seto shook his head. "No, but it seems we have all day to search. There are no enemies around... They must go away during the day."

"A'ighty, then, let's search!"

Turning, Seto watched as the blonde began walking further down the length of the long room, examining the shelves and eventually reaching a room in the back. _Beggars can't be choosers_, he reminded himself. Grasping onto the flashlight, he silently followed Jounouchi.


	7. 7 : The First Clue

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been awhile since the last update. My grandmother has Stage 4 cancer, and we went down this weekend to say our final goodbyes to her. It's been quite an emotional trip, to say the least.

I just want to say thanks to everyone for all the reviews and views over the weekend. Coming back and seeing all the comments brought a big smile to my face!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 : The First Clue<strong>

It took longer than anticipated, but Seto and Jounouchi finally managed to locate a computer in the virtual reality after searching through several buildings, all of them located on the main street of the town. Seto was confused by the haphazard placement of objects, star rooms (of which they found two), and items, but he shrugged it off, figuring it was yet another asset of the game that was designed to steer him clear of escape. After all, without a pattern, he would find it even more difficult determining the objective of the game. But as they searched through yet another small restaurant, he heard Jounouchi shout from the back, "Found one!" His heart skipped a beat.

He rushed to the back office, past low tables and folded mats, and saw Jounouchi standing beside a small desk. On it was a computer monitor, the image on the screen revealing Seto's bedroom. "This what we're lookin' for?" asked the blonde, smiling over at Seto.

"Yeah, this is it," he replied. He frowned as he continued staring at the monitor. _I get sucked in automatically if I stand in front of it. I wonder if the same will happen to Jounouchi..._

"Eh, what's wrong, Rich Boy?"

Seto's frown deepened as he turned to look at Jou. "I am unsure how these things work. For me, I just stand in front of one and am transported. But you... I don't know if the same thing will happen."

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?"

Before Seto could object, Jounouchi stepped forward and stood in front of the computer monitor. Putting his hands on the keyboard, the blonde suddenly froze into position. Seto merely watched as Jounouchi began to fade, and he clenched his fists in anger. "Jounouchi!" But it was too late; the duelist had vanished. _That idiot! He doesn't know where that computer monitor is going to take him! If we gets separated because of his stupid antics..._

But what was done was done. Jounouchi was gone, leaving no trace behind. _I guess I have no choice._ Standing in front of the computer monitor, Seto mimicked Jounouchi's behavior and felt himself immediately get pulled into his room, the restaurant scene fading behind him as the bedroom enveloped him. Within seconds, he was standing in the middle of his room.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jounouchi standing there, as well.

"Don't do that again, you idiot!" he exclaimed, causing Jounouchi to blink in surprise. "What would we have done if you got separated from me?"

"Well, I mean, uh..."

Seto sighed heavily. Clenching the bridge of his nose, he asked, "You don't think much about what you do, do you?"

Jounouchi chuckled and shook his head, causing Seto to glimpse over at him. "Nah, I don't see a point. I just, ya know, go for it, and whatever happens, happens!"

Seto rolled his eyes. "We have a word for that, you know. It's called 'irresponsibility.'"

"And we have a word for you," Jounouchi countered. "It's called 'guy with a stick up his ass.'"

Seto couldn't help but chuckle. "Last time I checked, Jounouchi, that's more than one word."

"Fits you all the same." Seto watched as Jou's eyes scanned their surroundings. "So, uh...this is your room?"

"An imitation," Seto corrected, looking around to find his trenchcoat still hanging over the computer chair. The sun appeared to be setting outside, while the digital clock on the nightstand revealed it was nearing six in the evening. _Time must shift whenever we travel from this area to the virtual reality. It was nearing noon when we found the restaurant._ Hearing something move, he glanced over and frowned when he saw Jounouchi looking at his dresser, on which were several photos. "What are you doing?"

"Witnessing a Christmas miracle."

"What?"

Jounouchi smirked. Pointing at the image in front of him, he merely said, "You're smiling."

Seto scoffed. "Whatever."

"You actually look kinda happy in these photos. I didn't know it was possible. Though Mokuba is with ya, so I guess it makes sense."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Seto walked to the other side of the room towards the exit. He grasped onto the doorknob and turned it, unsurprised to find it still locked. He banged on the door twice and sighed once more when there was no response. "Yo Kaiba..."

Seto rolled his eyes. "What?" he asked, his tone more than hinting at his annoyed state.

"How would the guy who made this game know you got these photos in your room? That seems like pretty private info."

Seto's eyes widened, his mouth parting slightly in surprise. The thought had never occurred to him; he had simply woken up and presumed this was his bedroom. _Jounouchi's right,_ he reflected in shock, turning to examine his room as if seeing it for the very first time. _Everything is in its proper place. The pictures are all the same. Even my wardrobe is designed to be the same as in the real world. But only I know how I organize my room... So then... How is this possible?_

He watched as Jounouchi slowly stood from his position. The blonde turned to look at him and frowned upon seeing the confused expression on the CEO's face. "What's up?"

"You actually have a valid point," Seto muttered.

Jounouchi's frown immediately turned into that cheeky grin. "I got a few of those every now and then. But I'm gonna assume you already searched through this place. I won't go jumpin' into your things. But, uh...why did we come here?"

"I was given a hint about finding you in this room," Seto explained. "Ever since I started, well, 'playing' this game, little notes have been coming through the door to inform me of what is taking place. I was hoping...that there would be another hint."

"Where was the hint?"

"It was on a piece of paper. Someone slid it under the door." Glancing down at his feet, he frowned when he saw no such piece waiting for him.

"Maybe there are more scattered around?"

"Maybe..."

"You know who is sending them?" Seto shook his head. To his surprise, Jounouchi pointed back at the photos. "So whose this guy?"

"Hmmm?" Unable to see it from his position, Seto began crossing the room. _What is so damn special about my personal photos?_ he thought as he approached Jounouchi. Leaning down, he blinked in surprise. He tried to hide the gasp that escaped from his lips, but Jounouchi must have picked up on it.

"What's up? Don't know the photos in your own room?"

_That's..._ _I thought for sure I took that photo down... What's it doing here?_ Slamming it down, he said, "He's nobody."

"I don't know, man. You look pretty happy with-"

"I said, he's nobody!" Seto exclaimed. Sensing the mutt's confusion, he sighed and shook his head. "Just an...old friend. We don't speak anymore. I thought I took that photo down... I guess I didn't. I don't look at my photos often."

An awkward moment of silence hung in the air before Jounouchi finally muttered, "Sorry, man. I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried 'bout."

Seto shook his head. "People knew we were friends. There was nothing to hide..." Seto nearly choked on the lie, but no one in the business world discovered their secret, and he would be damned if Jounouchi would.

_Akume... I know I took your picture down. What's it doing here? Why is it..._

"Yo, look!"

Blinking in surprise, Seto glanced over in the direction Jounouchi was pointing. Sure enough, another slip of paper, similar to the one he had first received, was being pushed through the opening at the bottom of the door. "Hey, hey!" he shouted, rushing towards the door and grabbing onto the paper. "Who the hell is pushing this through?" Banging on the door, he shouted, "Answer me, damn you! Who is doing this?!"

No response. The piece of paper pushed its way forward until it was completely in the room, then it ceased to move. Seto sighed heavily and sat down on the floor, the piece of paper still in his hand. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he glanced over to see Jounouchi crouching beside him. Instead of that cheeky grin, a comforting smile was across his lips. "Hey man, clearly whoever is helpin' ya can't show himself. Probably for the best, right? I mean, if the guy who made this place knew someone was helpin', he'd do everything he could to stop it, right? Let's just be thankful we got someone helpin' us on the outside. We got this."

It made sense for the person to hide himself but didn't make the CEO feel anymore comfortable about the situation. Nevertheless, he held up the note so that both of them could read it.

"The man who made this world originally wanted this to be a game," he read. "As such, there is a beginning, middle, and end. Your meeting with the ally serves as the beginning. Now onto the middle.

The game is separated into four major puzzles. You must go and complete these puzzles. Completing the first will unlock the second, and following this pattern, the final puzzle will unlock the exit. Your first puzzle is located in the public library. It is located presumably next to the school, in the northern section of the town. You will note it by its massive garden.

There are no maps in the game, but use this sheet of paper and a pen to mark your locations. It is imperative that you do so.

- A Friend"

"This is ridiculous," Seto muttered.

"Yeah, well, what can you do?" Sighing, Jounouchi stood from his position. "Guess we got ourselves a library to find."

Stuffing the note into his pocket, Seto thought, _I guess so. _Standing, he glanced once more at his long row of photographs as Jounouchi approached the computer. _Akume... _Jounouchi stopped and smirked at Seto's staring, causing Seto to blush slightly. "What?"

"You got a nice smile," Jounouchi remarked, causing Seto to blink in surprise. Receiving a light punch from Jounouchi, he watched as the blonde said, "You should do it more often. Get that stick out of your ass and be happy." Probably expecting a smartass comment, Jounouchi immediately turned and approached the computer, quickly disappearing into the virtual reality. Not knowing what to think, Seto merely followed him, the picture on the dresser disturbing him more than he cared to admit.


	8. 8 : Sneaking Around

Hey everyone! So, I've been making some changes with my schedule, especially with starting a new job, and the matter concerning my grandmother is officially laid to rest, as she has passed away. I should be able to post most often now. Thanks for your understanding and patience; I know I usually update a lot quicker than I have been, but I have my reasons for doing so.

I just want to say thanks again for all the support.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 : Sneaking Around<strong>

As soon as Seto felt himself be pulled into the virtual reality game, he knew something was off. The office they found themselves in was pitch black, and the remainder of the restaurant was equally dark. Seto frowned as he clicked on the flashlight now in his hand; while he was happy to have a source of light, it was by no means enough to give him a distinct impression of the room they were in. The sound of a slight breeze shook the shutters enough to make him cringe. It was nighttime, and he knew what that meant.

_Those ghosts..._

"Daaaaamn, dude," Jounouchi muttered. Seto turned the flashlight to see the blonde standing next to him. His eyes were wide, and Seto could tell he was scared by his paled expression. "It's _dark_ in here."

"That it is..."

"You think those, uh, ghost things are around?"

Seto sighed heavily. "Probably..." The blonde visibly shivered, and while a few smartass comments entered his mind, Seto chose to let it slide. _Even I will admit this is a little unnerving. How are we supposed to find a library if it is pitch black outside?_

"Yo, we got another flashlight?"

"No. I left the other one behind at the hardware store."

"The store?"

"Where you and I met up."

"Oh..." The blonde shivered again, and Seto nodded.

"Right, and I don't feel like going back for a stupid flashlight. This is it."

"Lead the way, then, Moneybags."

Seto scoffed. Turning, he opened the office door and slowly scanned the room. He could see some moonlight shining in through a front window, but otherwise, it was entirely dark. The little tables were empty, as were the mats, and a few sake bottles and bowls were left untouched. "Is there anything we could use in here?" he muttered to himself.

"You mean as a weapon?" asked Jounouchi.

"Just...anything."

"How should I know? I can't see a damn thing."

"All right, then just follow me."

"Like I have a choice."

Seto growled under his breath but chose to let it go. He didn't have time for Jounouchi's attitude right now, but commenting would just put them in a neverending loop, as always. Walking down the aisle created by the tables, he went to exit the restaurant when a sudden noise caused him to come to a halt. Before the blonde could say anything, Seto grabbed onto his arm and pulled him down, forcing the two to kneel. He placed a finger over his lips, not looking away until the blonde nodded in understanding, before peeking outside.

Standing in the street was a person.

Seto felt his heart begin to race in his chest. _Shit, those things really are around..._ The person appeared to be male, wearing traditional robes, though the moonlight revealed a significant portion of blood splattered on the clothes. The man slowly turned towards the restaurant, and Seto quickly took a step back, not wanting to be spotted.

"Hide the flashlight."

Seto blinked. Turning, he hissed in a hushed tone, "What?"

Jounouchi pointed down at his hand. "Turn off the damn flashlight!"

"If we do, he'll notice there's a change!" Seto argued. "Then he will come to investigate!"

"He'll probably come to investigate anyways! It's not like there's a whole lot of light out here!"

Footsteps began to echo off the dirt pathway. Seto slowly peeked around the corner once again. His eyes widened when he saw a second man approaching the first. This one was dressed in a lighter blue robe, making the blood marks all the more visible. "Shit, this isn't going to work," Seto whispered. "There's two guys out there, and I'm not taking any chances of being attacked out in the open." Looking towards the back of the restaurant, he asked, "Did you see another exit back there when you found the computer?"

Jounouchi frowned. "No, but I wasn't looking."

"Let's look. I'd rather search than rush out there."

"Good idea."

Walking down the aisle past the tables, past the mats, and past the empty bowls, the two ignored the entrance to the back office and began feeling for a slide door. Seto quickly found one, to his great relief, and slowly opened it. Peeking out, he saw it led out to a back, dirt alleyway. Trash cans and lines for laundry were scattered about. Fortunately, no one around, and he released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"All right, let's go," he instructed. He heard the blonde mutter an approval as he stepped outside.

"Which way are we goin'?" asked Jounouchi as he slid the door closed behind them. Seto looked over at him.

"Do you have the note?"

"Uh, I dunno. But it said to head north."

"North..." Glancing up at the position of the moon, Seto nodded and said, "All right, follow me."

"You know where this library is?"

"No, but I know where north is."

"A'ight... I'm just followin' you."

"Good. And keep quiet." Remaining in a crouched position, Seto began to move forward along the alleyway, left of where the restaurant was located. He quickly reached the corner and peeked around to see the two men still standing in the street, neither looking in his direction. He turned back to Jounouchi and nodded. Jou nodded in response, and Seto knew he would indeed follow him. _I don't need him panicking and turning last-second, attracting who knows what kind of attention. I need him to be as focused as I am. I need to rely on him._ The thoughts were hard to swallow, but he forced himself to do so.

He crossed the intersection and came out to the other side of the alleyway. Another intersection could be seen in the distance, while a long line of buildings blocked his view of the street to their left. Overhead, laundry hung down and swayed in the slight breeze. Thanks to their crouched position, they didn't have to worry about it, but Seto made sure to look up every so often just in case. They didn't need any surprises, not now.

The two eventually came to the next intersection. Inhaling, Seto leaned forward and peeked around the corner only to immediately draw back. "Shit..." Bile came up to his mouth, but he quickly swallowed it back.

"What is it?" whispered Jounouchi. He leaned forward only to pull back as well. His eyes widened, and he visibly shivered. "Shiiiit, man, what the fuck?!"

Seto slowly turned back to look. A woman was hanging from the laundry line, the rope wrapped tightly around her neck. Blood poured from her empty eye sockets down onto her red robes. Her short, black hair swayed in the breeze, revealing her crazed smile. Seto felt his stomach tighten as the slight breeze pushed her body around. He shook his head in disgust. "Come on..." He turned the corner and quickly crawled past her, his body instinctively cringing when he felt her toes brush against his shoulder. He could hear Jounouchi squirming behind him, but after shushing the blonde, he once again heard footsteps out in the street.

_Oh, come on,_ he thought as he peeked around the corner of the building on his left. The two men were now making a circle in the center of the street, as if scanning for any sign of intruders. _How are we supposed to get anywhere at this rate? They move around to scan areas, and there's no telling how many of them there are wandering about. And that woman in blue... Where is she?_

He peeked up the street in the opposite direction only to gasp in surprise. _Wait...is that..._

Thanks to the moonlight, he could see an outline in the distance of a large husk of a tree. A building stood several yards behind it, but the front was fenced off. A sign next to the tree was difficult to make out, but again, thanks to the moonlight, he could make out a word at the bottom. _'Library.'_ _Could that be our garden?_ He frowned as he returned his attention to the two men. _Only one way to find out, but how...how do we get over there?_

"Yo, Kaiba."

Seto turned to look at the blonde. He blinked in surprise when he saw him pull open a slide door on the house to their right. "We can sneak through here out onto the other street," Jounouchi noted. "Those men wouldn't be able to see us all the way down there, right?"

Seto's eyes widened. It did seem a plausible idea, but he was stunned the blonde had managed to come up with a plan at all. Retreating back down the alley and past the hanging woman, he followed Jounouchi into the building. Seto could immediately tell it was an antique store, given all the expensive vases, jewelry, and pottery laid about on the wooden tables. He crouched behind the counter that served as the register's counter, noting the dust on the shelves. _How is there so much detail in certain areas of this game and none in others? Just who the hell designed this piece of crap horror game?_ He waited for Jounouchi to slide the door shut before taking a step forward. However, he immediately froze when the sound of someone humming filled the air. Jounouchi stopped, too.

"Is that you?" asked Jou, his voice shaking.

"No..." Bringing his flashlight up slightly, Seto flinched when he saw someone walking around the front room, as if admiring the merchandise. "Shit, what the fuck, Jounouchi?!" he hissed in rage. "You trying to lead us into a trap?"

"I didn't know she was in here!" he hissed back, his eyes wide as he glanced up over the counter. Seto sighed heavily, but Jou continued. "Besides, we can't go out on the main street. And look, there's another slide door across from us!"

Looking down at the opposite end of the building, Seto did indeed see another slide door across from them. _But that means sneaking past her..._ He inhaled as he peeked back up. Fortunately there was a small counter with the register hiding them, but as for the rest of the route, they would be visible if she turned around. "Okay... I'll signal you, and you rush through the door," he instructed, turning to look directly at Jounouchi. "Then I'll come out when I get the chance. Try to see if that large, dead tree isn't in some sort of garden, if you can."

Jounouchi nodded. "Not sure how much I'll be able to see from here, but I'll try."

"Okay..." Slowly peeking back up, Seto watched as the woman, dressed in dark robes, continued to hum as she slowly walked down the aisle of jewelry. _All these ghosts are acting like normal people, but they're all dead,_ he thought to himself. _I don't understand any of this... And maybe it's best that I don't._

He held his breath as he waited for the woman to look completely away; he didn't want to chance anything, even her seeing them out of the corner of her eye. Finally, as she turned a corner, she muttered, "Oooh, how lovely!" and turned her back to them. Seto tapped Jounouchi's shoulder.

"Go!" he hissed.

Fortunately, Jounouchi didn't need to be told twice. The blonde immediately dashed across the room from their position. It took him only a handful of seconds, and Seto listened as he slid the door open and jumped outside. Seto went to move when the woman began to circle the room again. _Shit..._ He watched as she slowly, very slowly, examined each table, her body just facing him enough to make him uncomfortable to move. As she circled the room, she began to get closer to his position. Her humming grew louder. Seto swallowed as he pressed himself against the counter, no longer trusting that she wouldn't be able to see him. Instead, he relied on listening.

And she was getting closer.

"Hmm hmm hm hmmm," she hummed, repeating the same four notes over and over again. Her footsteps echoed off the wooden panel flooring. Seto pointed his flashlight at the floor, hoping to hide as much of the light as possible. Soon her footsteps stopped, and Seto peeked up. He could hear her as if she was directly above him, and indeed, he heard her fingers drum against the wooden counter. She was right behind him.

"Hmm hmm hm hmmm," she hummed. Seto's breathing quickened. For a second, he forgot he was in a game, but the thought did little to reassure him.

_It doesn't matter if this is a game. These enemies...she'll kill me if she sees me._ He could feel beads of sweat forming on his brow but chose not to move to wipe them away. Instead, he focused all his energy on listening to the woman. "Hmm hmm hm hmmm," she continued. And then, she stopped.

Seto felt his heart skip a beat. He felt for sure she had caught him, but then, out of nowhere, she said, "I wonder how much this is..."

And then her footsteps began to echo. This time, however, they were moving away.

Seto counted to three before chancing a peek. Sure enough, her back was facing him; she was approaching the same table as before. He knew he might not get another chance and, without a second thought, dashed towards the opposite door. Jumping out onto the street, he sighed in utter relief when he saw Jounouchi standing next to the exit.

"You all right?" Jounouchi asked, his voice low.

"No, I'm not all right." Seto closed the slide door shut before turning to look at Jou. "What is over there, next to that tree?"

To his surprise, Jounouchi smiled. "There was a sign next to the tree that read "Public Library." That's what we're lookin' for, right?"

Seto couldn't help but smile. "Yes...that's what we're looking for."

"Come on, follow me," Jou instructed. "There's another one of those things prowling around further up, but if we stay low, I don't think she can see us."

Seto didn't like the idea of following the blonde; nevertheless, he crouched down and pointed his flashlight ahead so that Jou could see where he was going. They quickly crossed the street and soon found themselves next to the dead tree. Weeds and dead flowers littered the ground, crunching underneath the weight of their heels, and the breeze gently pushed against a swing hanging from a half-broken limb on the tree. "Goddammit, this place is fucking creepy," Jounouchi complained. "And you came out of there looking scared, man. Did something happen?"

"No," Seto answered. "She just...got a little too close for comfort."

"Damn. If you're freakin' out, I don't feel so bad about bein' scared."

Seto didn't fight him. Instead, he pointed at the building before them and muttered, "Let's just go."

"You got it." The blonde slid the front door open and, the second Seto entered, closed it behind them.

They both let out a sigh of relief, and Jounouchi chuckled slightly. Seto stood from his crouched position and leaned a hand against the wall. He finally wiped the sweat from his brow. Hearing Jou's chuckles, he incredulously asked, "The hell you laughing about?"

Jou shook his head as he smiled over at him. "You sure make some weird enemies, Kaiba. Like, really fuckin' weird enemies."

"Not by choice," Seto replied. Jounouchi laughed again and reached out to pat Seto on the shoulder. Despite himself, Seto felt a small smile tug at his lips. For the first time since waking up in this virtual hell, he was happy to have someone along for the ride.


	9. 9 : The First Puzzle

Hello everyone!

So yeah, it's been a bit since I last updated. I'm still trying to organize my schedule, what with a new job and everything.

Also, I'm still not feeling very confident about the way this story is playing out. I like the plot and all that, but I feel, I dunno, like I'm missing details. Like it's not as scary as I want it to be. So please, if you have any criticism regarding the "horror" element of this story, if you think there needs to be better detail, or if some parts move too fast or too slow, please speak up in the comments section. Constructive criticism is always welcome. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 9 : The First Puzzle<strong>

Seto inhaled and slowly exhaled, listening to the sound of the slight breeze through the thin shutter door. With his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed, he counted the seconds by, giving his mind a rest from the fear he had just felt. Jounouchi had left to return to the real world, to eat some lunch and check up on things. That left Seto alone. A starred room had been to the left of the entrance, and Seto decided to hide in the safety of the room. It was poorly furnished, with only two wooden desks and two mats. On one of the desks was a candle, now glowing brightly. He didn't like being stuck in the room, but he had few options. Seto wasn't going anywhere without support. He took the game lightly before; he would not make the same mistake and risk getting lost again.

And so he leaned against the shutter of the entrance to the safe room, thinking.

_I have to seriously begin reflecting on what happened the night before I was trapped in this place,_ he thought to himself, drumming his fingers against his arm. _I left the office. Kota greeted me at the limosine. I entered, and Kota began driving me. He was...peculiar, though. His voice was a little off. I remember... I remember him chuckling..._ Seto shivered despite himself. _After that, it's something of a blur. Why can't I remember? Was that even Kota? Or someone else? No, I would've taken notice for sure if someone else was driving my damn limosine. He greeted me outside KaibaCorp...he bowed to me..._

Seto sighed heavily. _So what then? How did I end up in this virtual reality? This is not my real body. My real body is in the real world...doing...doing who knows what. Probably just lying in a virtual pod. Am I being fed through an IV? I'm alive...my brain is still functioning. So how? How long, exactly, have I been in this game? Two, maybe three days? _The thought made his head ache. _Someone has to be keeping me alive in the real world. I'd be feeling the fatigue if otherwise. But then...where is my body?_

Seto bit his lower lip as his eyes slowly opened. _And then there's the matter of my room. Jounouchi was right; only Mokuba and Kota know what my room looks like. And that's another point against Kota. But Kota has no reason to betray me. He has worked for me for over a year. He knows my secrets, knows my lifestyle, and he never once spoke out against me or indicated his displeasure. Indeed, I remember the first day he came to my office. He seemed surprised I had gotten a hold of his resume, but he was thrilled to begin working for me. Did I erroneously read him? Did I lead an enemy right into my home? _

_No... Something else is wrong. Another piece of the puzzle is missing. And besides, whoever designed this game did get one thing wrong. _He bit his lip harder at the memory of the picture Jounouchi managed to see. _Akume... I know for a fact I threw that picture away, along with all the others of him, when he proved he couldn't handle the relationship. When he proved to me that he was not willing to make sacrifices for 'love.' I haven't thought of him in years...so why is the picture there? Who the hell put it there? The only other person to know of our relationship was Gozaburo, and I paid dearly for that. But he's gone now. So then..._

A sudden noise caught his attention, and he quickly glanced up, half expecting to see one of the zombie-like grotesqueries wandering about. Instead, an image of a man briefly fizzled in front of him, as if it was fading into reality, and within seconds, Jounuochi appeared. He smiled cheekily and waved at Seto. "Hey, you're still here!"

Seto scoffed. "Where the hell else would I be, mutt?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips. Despite himself, his heart skipped a beat at seeing the blonde. He would never admit it, but he liked having another familiar presence in the game. Being alone in the safe room had been unnerving.

"I dunno," Jounouchi answered. "I figured you'd go and figure out the puzzle or somethin'." Seto watched as the blonde placed his hands in his pockets. "So, a couple'a quick updates for ya. First of all, I figured you'd wanna know, Mokuba is doin' well." Seto's eyes widened at the news. He was surprised that Jou had thought ahead like that. It warmed him a little to know that his brother was fine. "He and Yuugi are out searchin' for ya with Isono. All he said was that he may or may not have a lead on where ta find ya. Another update is that Kota is goin' out this afternoon to do somethin'. I don't know what, but it'll just be you and me for a bit."

Seto frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. "Is that all?" he asked when Jounouchi didn't continue.

"Yeah, I think so. Kota said he wouldn't be too long, though. Just maybe an hour or so. So do you wanna keep goin', or wait for him to come back?"

"Even if he comes back, we won't know it if we're in this game," Seto complained. Pushing himself off the shutter, he said, "Let's just continue."

"A'ight, sounds good to me. So, uh, did you get any clues as to what the hell we're supposed ta be doin' in here?"

"No."

Jounouchi's eyes widened. "Then what the hell did you do in that hour?"

Seto blinked in surprise. "You've been gone an hour?"

"Well, yeah! I left to go get some lunch across the street. Kota took me. He asked me details about the game, what we were doin' and stuff." Jounouchi shrugged his shoulders. "He's really worried about ya, man. He was shaking when I explained what was happenin', and he got real pale when I told him 'bout the bedroom. I think he left to go diggin' for some clues on his own, to be perfectly honest."

Seto pursed his lips together. _I want to believe Kota has nothing to do with this. But if he didn't pick me up in the limosine that night...then...who did?_

"So what were you doing if you weren't searchin' for clues?"

"Thinking," Seto admitted. "About how I got here, about who could possibly be responsible for this mess."

Seto watched as Jounouchi frowned and took a step forward. "Yeah, well, maybe we should just leave that to Mokuba? I mean, even if we figured it out, we'd still have to beat this game to get you back to the real world. To be honest, I'm kinda worried about you." Seto blinked at the statement. Jounouchi's voice had dropped, and his tone was curiously sad. "I mean, it's been two days now that you've been missing. You've probably been in this game that whole time...so who knows where your real body even is, or what's going on right now."

Seto's eyebrows slowly knit together in confusion. "Were you...thinking of that while you were gone?"

"I was thinkin' about it last night," Jounouchi corrected. "While I was sleepin', you were doin' who knows what in the game. We may not be friends, but I don't like seein' people suffering. Just goes against what Yuugi taught me about helping others." Seto sneered, and Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. You may like it, or you may shrug it off, but that doesn't change the fact that I wanna see you get out of here, even if you are an asshole."

For a minute, the two stood silently, merely staring at one another. Maybe it was the darkness that unnerved Seto, or the fact that, just an hour ago, he had been sneaking past a bloody, humming ghost. Maybe it was fatigue. Maybe, while he didn't particularly care for Jounouchi, he knew deep down that the blonde was indeed doing him a large favor, a favor that he didn't necessarily owe the CEO. But suddenly, Seto felt grateful for the mutt. He bit his lower lip before sighing heavily. "Even if I find your friendship with Yuugi to be an annoying thorn in my side... I suppose you do deserve a thank you for helping me with this."

"Hey, I just wanna see you safely out of here," Jounouchi remarked. "I've seen you over the years. I know shit wasn't so easy for you. And I don't pity you. I just, well... I know you're not _all_ bad. If nothing else, you don't deserve this bullshit." The blonde reached his hand out, and Seto, stunned by the move, almost mechanically reached forward to shake it. Jounouchi's smile returned, and his voice rose as he said, "Well then, since ya didn't find any clues, you think should we start lookin' around?"

Sighing, Seto slowly nodded his head. "Sure." Exiting the room, he turned the flashlight on and took a few steps forward, back to the main entrance hall.

The two turned to look at their surroundings. Thanks to Seto's flashlight, they could see what lied beyond, though admittedly it wasn't a lot. There was nothing to their left or their right. Instead, a mere narrow hallway stood before them, leading into a pit of darkness. Seto briefly wondered how long the flashlight would last but didn't question its continued light. Taking it firmly in hand, he flashed the light forward down the hallway, his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach when he saw just how far the corridor extended back.

"Weirdest fuckin' library I ever saw," Jounouchi muttered as he began walking forward, Seto following right behind him.

Seto immediately thought of a comeback but, for perhaps the first time in his life, chose to hold it back. _Jounouchi is putting up with a lot of bullshit for me. I can keep a joke or two to myself...at least until we get out of here._

The hallway seemed to go on for miles, their steps echoing in the corridor. To their right and left were shutters that appeared to lead into adjacent rooms. Seto thought several times about investigating, but the memory of the humming ghost checked his curiosity. Eventually they reached an inner, circular sanctum, and Seto, taking the lead, flashed his light around to scan their new surroundings. A long desk, meant to serve as the librarian's place of work, was now dusty from disuse. A pile of books lay casually on the desk. Flashing his light in all directions, Seto realized it was the central hub, so to speak, of the library; from their position, a total of eight shutter doors were visible. Above the shutters were signs indicating what genre of books could be found in the rooms beyond.

"Holy shit, this place is huge," Jounouchi muttered. "It didn't look this big from the outside."

"It never does in a video game," Seto muttered. Even he couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by what he saw. _A giant maze with only a flashlight. Ugh..._

"What's that sound?"

Stopping his scanning of the room, Seto blinked in surprise when, indeed, a noise reached his ears. He frowned when it seemed to be moving and slowly turned in the direction it was coming from. The light of the flashlight illuminated the wooden panel flooring, and Seto visibly flinched when a pair of bloody footprints became visible. He followed the trail and gasped when he saw that new footprints were appearing. Whatever was causing the footprints was moving.

"GAAAH!" Jounouchi shouted, nearly tumbling backwards. "Wha-wha-what the hell?!"

_A ghost?_ Seto thought, watching as the footsteps continued approaching his position. Not wanting to risk an attack, he quickly stepped to the side and simply waited as the footsteps passed by him. _They're approaching the desk..._ he realized, and he watched with baited breath as the footprints finally came to a halt in front of the main registrar.

A book from the pile on the desk began to shake. Within seconds, it fell to the ground, opening up to a bloody page. Waiting until the footprints disappeared, the sounds of footsteps now gone, Seto slowly approached the book. He leaned down, growling when he realized Jounouchi had yet to move. "The ghost is gone, you idiot."

"You sure...?"

"I'm fine, aren't I?" He placed a hand on the book, flinching internally at the feeling of wet pages. "Now come on. See if there's anything of use here."

He glanced over to see Jounouchi's shoulders sag slightly. "Yeah... I guess." The blonde made his way over to the book and kneeled down next to Seto. "Can...you make out any of this? It's all covered in blood..."

"Yeah, I see that," Seto curtly remarked, shining the flashlight down on the book. The pages were soaked in blood; all the writing had long been washed away. But as he examined the book more closely, he noticed a piece of paper was sticking out of the side. "What's this...?" He slowly reached forward and pulled it out, blinking in surprise at what he saw.

It was a piece of a picture.

"What is that?" Jounouchi asked, leaning forward to get a closer look.

"A picture of someone's feet," Seto replied. "A little girl, by the looks of it. The robe is flowery at the bottom." It was the bottom right corner of the image. The image itself was black and white, a few bloody dots scattered about, but it showed the ground, what appeared to be a grassy knoll, and the bottom of a girl's robe. "Looks like the designer of this game isn't as creative as we thought."

Jounouchi's head spun to look at Seto. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me you've never played a horror game before, Jounouchi."

At that, Jounouchi frowned. "Of course I have!"

"Then you know how most puzzles in horror games are just finding items and piecing them together, correct?"

"Yeah..." Jounouchi's eyes widened as realization hit him. "So you think we're supposed to find the pieces of the photo and put it together?"

"That would be my guess."

"Eww, that's gonna suck in this area. Look at how big this library is!"

Flashing his flashlight around, Seto couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yes, it's going to take awhile, but..." He let the light fall to the floor once more, and he was unsurprised to find a new pair of bloody footprints leading into the section marked **Historical Documents**. "Maybe we have a helping hand in this matter..."

Jounouchi's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you want to follow those footprints?! No way, dude! Who knows where they lead?"

"Okay then, what genius idea do you have for figuring this puzzle out?"

Looking over at Jounouchi, he saw the mutt visibly pout. "Dammit, I hate horror games..." the blonde muttered. "Stupid, stupid horror games."

Seto slowly stood from his position. Pocketing the shard of the picture, he said, "Let's just see where this leads."

"But Kaiba..."

"What?" He turned and watched as Jounouchi got to his feet as well.

"You don't seem like the horror video game type. How do you know how horror games work? How do you know this is what we gotta do?"

At that, Seto rolled his eyes. "Mokuba loves horror games, for some reason. I've watched him play over a dozen of them. So while I have never played one myself, I know how they function. And like I said, if you have a better idea, speak up. Otherwise, we don't really have a choice in what we do."

He went to turn when the blonde suddenly asked, "You watch Mokuba play games?"

Frowning, he returned to looking at Jou. "Of course. It's how we spend time together. I_f_ we get time to spend together. Sometimes...sometimes work gets in the way of that." He watched as a smile crossed Jounouchi's lips, which ironically caused him to frown even more. "What?"

"I don't know. That's just...normal, I guess. Wouldn't expect that from you."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just figure this damn puzzle out."


	10. 10: Sisterly Ghosts

**Chapter 10 : Sisterly Ghosts**

Following the bloody footprints on the wooden panels, Seto quickly found himself standing in front of the room marked **Historical Documents**. He looked back to see Jounouchi standing right behind him. The fear seemed to be mostly gone from the blonde, replaced with that sometimes ridiculous determination Jounouchi always seemed to possess. "Whatever happens, stay close," Seto instructed. "You said you don't like horror games. Well, let me give you a rundown of the basics. Splitting up in a horror game is a surefire way to die or get lost. We stick together, got it?"

"A'ight, Money Bags." Chuckling, Jounouchi added, "Like I'd leave ya. You got the flashlight, don't'cha?"

Seto nodded and returned his attention to the room before them. He reached out and slowly opened the shutter door. Flashing the light inside, he released a breath he didn't know he had been holding when he saw nothing but darkness. Darkness...and books.

The walls were covered by bookshelves that went from the very floor to the very ceiling. The spines of the books were perfectly aligned, and Seto could not find a single empty space, the shelves were so packed. In the middle of the room were three double-sided bookshelves, creating makeshift aisles. Taking a step forward, Seto scanned as much as he could from his position, smirking when he saw no ghosts. _Hopefully we only have these bloody footprints to worry about, _he thought. _I really do not want to be caught unarmed by a ghost in this area._

"You see anything, Kaiba?" asked Jounouchi. Seto turned and flinched when he saw just how close the blonde was standing behind him.

"No, and I know I said stick close, but you don't have to hug my back when we move around."

Jounouchi blushed slightly. "Sorry, but like I said, you got the flashlight. It's waaaay too dark in this area; I can't see shit in here. Or anywhere, really."

Seto had to admit that the blonde had a point. Without the flashlight, they would literally be walking around in total darkness. There were no candles, no moonlight, or even shading to give them a sense of where to look. It was just the flashlight...and darkness.

Pointing the light towards the floor, Seto was unsurprised to find bloody footprints leading further into the room. _They're small, rather petite feet_, he noted._ I wonder if the girl in the photo is the same as the girl now showing us the way. It would make sense, from a video game perspective. Create at least the illusion of a plotline. Though I doubt the person who made this game was worried about plot. His only plot was to sabotage me. _Stepping forward, Seto began to follow the footprints across the room and around the corner. They led to the farthest aisle, and he carefully followed them, checking every subsequent aisle to make sure there were no ambushes waiting for him. He could hear Jounouchi breathing heavily behind him, and with their footsteps echoing off the wooden panels, the tension alone started to rattle his nerves. But he held out and soon came to the last aisle, where the bloody footprints went halfway before stopping, their direction turning to face the bookshelf on the right.

"This our next clue?" asked Jounouchi.

"I suppose..." Seto muttered, repeating the path laid down for them. Turning to face the bookshelf, he noticed that one book in particular was partially pulled out, sticking out almost comically. He grabbed it and flashed his light on the spine, frowning at the title. "What the...? This is a fictional novel, not an historical one. The hell is it doing here?"

"Let me see!" Snatching the book from Seto's hands, Jounouchi opened it to a random page. Seto was about to yell at him when he noticed something fall to the floor. He let the light fall and was surprised to see a torn piece of paper floating down. He grabbed it and held it up. "Hey, look!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "Another piece of the-"

Jounouchi stopped speaking, and Seto frowned. "What's wrong?"

His eyes were wide. Jounouchi held a finger up to his lips, and his eyes looked behind Seto's position. Without moving the flashlight, Seto slowly turned around. That's when he heard it. Footsteps approaching. Heavier ones. Real ones.

He immediately pointed the flashlight down towards the floor, hoping to dull as much of the light as possible. Snatching back the book and pocketing the photo, he rushed down the rest of the aisle, pulling on Jounouchi for him to follow. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he turned and peeked around the corner, down the adjacent aisle.

Standing there was another ghost.

He hadn't noticed her before, and he wouldn't have been surprised if finding the book had triggered her appearance. But there she was, standing in a light pink kimono, her hair pulled back in a traditional fashion. Her black eyes shed bloody tears as she sniffled, and she walked slowly, examining the books before her. With small, gentle steps, continued walking in the opposite direction. Her left hand brushed against the spines of the novels, leaving small bloody trails, while her right hand held a clean dagger. Seto held his breath, watching as she slowly disappeared down the aisle and out of sight. He gasped, however, when she made a right. She was heading towards their aisle; one more turn, and she would see them.

"Let's go!" he hissed, grabbing onto Jounouchi's arm once more. Remaining in a crouched position, he dashed forward, clutching the book close to his chest. He could hear Jounouchi following behind and hoped their echoing footsteps wouldn't attract the ghost's attention. He held his breath as he moved forward. Every noise seemed to echo. He soon reached the shutter door and pulled it open, stepping back into the main hub. Jounouchi followed behind. He turned, stood, and watched as Jounouchi came out and shut the door behind him. He then turned only to jump back in surprise.

A little girl stood before them. She was wearing nearly the same exact attire as the woman in the previous room, her hair done up in the same fashion. Seto's heart stopped as she smiled at them, her teeth as black as her eyes. There were no bloody tears running down her cheeks, but with that wicked smile, she leaned down and began to write on the floor. Seto noticed her cracked hands and felt his stomach turn. She was writing not with a utensil, but with her fingernails. Her fingers began to bleed profusely as she dug into the boards, and the sounds of the nails pierced his ears. His heart beat faster as his stomach did flips at the grotesque scene. Not knowing what to do, he merely stood there, watching the spectacle. He glanced over for a brief second to see Jounouchi was equally stunned to stillness. The blonde's chest rose and fell rapidly, his wide eyes staring forward at the sight. Turning back, Seto flashed the light on her once more. She smiled up at them, waved-

-and then vanished.

The two remained still, too stunned to do anything about what had just taken place. "What the fuck..." Seto heard Jounouchi whisper. Seto swallowed. Lowering the light, he read the characters printed in the floor, drawn with the girl's blood.

"Beware...beware of Big Sis," he read aloud. "Just...just beware...of Big Sis."

"Who the fuck is 'Big Sis'?" Jounouchi hissed. Ignoring the question, Seto quickly swiped the torn piece of paper from his pocket and held it up to the flashlight. It was the upper-right corner of the photo; on it was the image of the body and head of a young girl, the same young girl who just stood in front of them. She was smiling widely, her eyes closed in joy.

"My guess is...that little girl's big sister," Seto remarked. He held the image out so Jounouchi could take a look as well.

"You mean the other ghost?" Jounouchi was still whispering and now pointing to the room behind them. And that's when Seto heard it. The footsteps. The heavier ones. Coming in their direction, close behind them.

"Shit!" Dropping the book, he shoved the photo back into his pocket, along with the other shard, and grabbed onto Jounouchi's arm. Running along the outer wall of the central lobby, he pointed his flashlight upwards. Just as it landed on a sign reading **Fictional Works**, he heard the shutter from **Historical Documents** opening. At least he hoped that was the door. _We would be screwed if there was more than one malevolent ghost haunting this place._

He reached out and opened the shutter. It only took a few seconds of scanning to realize the room was a copy and paste of the previous room. _All these rooms must look the same, _he thought._ That would be even more confusing if we didn't have these hints. We would simply be wandering the same rooms over and over again. And with that ghost... _

"What are we doing here?"

Seto blinked. He had almost entirely forgotten about Jounouchi in those few seconds of panic. He turned to look at the blonde. Sweat was visible on Jounouchi's forehead, and he could see he was shaking, panicking. Seto frowned. "We're looking for our next clue," he stated.

"But there were no footprints!" Jounouchi exclaimed. He wiped the sweat from his brow. "Fuck, man, the fuck are we supposed to do now?!"

"The book we found was a fictional work," Seto noted. "I think that was our clue as to where to look next."

"So what? Now we look at every book?"

"No, now we…" But Seto stopped when he heard the footsteps behind them. "Shit, get down!" He pulled Jounouchi to the floor and quickly scanned the wooden panels. Bloody footprints led directly forward, to the bookshelf right in front of them. He went to take a step when the woman's sobs reached his ears._ We would be caught right away! Shit, we have to go around… Shit!_

"K-Kaiba…?"

Seto turned to see Jounouchi kneeling next to him, visibly shaking with fear. Even Seto could feel his own heart racing in his chest. The sounds of the sobbing grew louder. She was right outside the door!

"Come on!" Seto whispered harshly. Grabbing Jounouchi's hand, he pulled him along as he rushed towards the first hidden aisle. He then pressed himself against the bookshelf, watching as Jounouchi did the same. He felt Jounouchi's grip tighten around his hand as the sound of the shutter door opening reached his ears.

_Shit, shit, shit… _He had to do it. Reaching down, he turned the flashlight off. Even he felt unnerved as the total darkness surrounded them. Only the sounds of the woman's sobs could be heard. Even her footsteps were quiet. He and Jounouchi's breathing seemed to fill the room. He feared she would sense them. He closed his eyes. He had to listen. She was to their right. Her sobs grew louder. Still on the right. Louder now. Still on the right. Louder... Her sobs sounded eerily close.

Then...softer.

Just a bit softer. Still on the right. Softer. Still right. She was walking past them, past their aisle. Seto opened his eyes. His hands were shaking. He could hear Jounouchi breathing heavily next to him. With his free hand, he reached down and clicked the flashlight on. Lifting it ever so slightly to the right, he saw that the woman was out of sight. _Now's our only chance… _He inhaled and glanced over at Jou. Sweat poured down the kid's face, and while his eyes revealed his intense fear, he looked determined in Seto's direction. Seto nodded, and he nodded in return. Inhaling sharply, Seto pushed himself off the bookshelf and rushed down the aisle towards the back of the room, back to where the footprints led.

He didn't even bother checking to see if the ghost was there. There wasn't enough time to do so. Instead, he stealthily crawled forward as fast he could, ignoring the fact that Jounouchi was still holding his hand. They came to the bookshelf where the bloody footprints stopped, and Seto swiftly pressed the palm of his hand against the spines. He went from the bottom shelf up, feeling for any books that were out of place. Sure enough, he felt one sticking out profusely on the third shelf and quickly took it down.

"Kaiba…" He heard Jounouchi whisper.

He knew. The sobbing was getting louder again. She was walking down an aisle, soon to turn and face them. Placing the book under his armpit, he once again tightened his grip on Jounouchi's hand before making his way back towards the entrance of the room. Opening the shutter door, he motioned for Jounouchi to go first before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Seto closed his eyes and fell the remaining few inches to the floor, landing hard on his knees. His nerves felt shot. He knew it was a video game, knew it deep down, but a bloodied woman with a knife in her hand would unnerve anyone. He wasn't invincible. He hoped beyond reason that the remaining pieces of the photo would be in this one book. Instead, he opened it up and found only one. The upper left-hand corner, showing the face of the older sister. A woman who looked quite similar to the woman now circling **Fictional Works**.

"Fuck, man." Seto looked up to see Jounouchi shaking. "Just...fuck."

He hadn't noticed until now, but Jounouchi was still holding his hand. He slowly let go of it and, holding his flashlight up, pat Jounouchi on the shoulder. "Come on," he whispered, his voice shaking despite himself. "Just one more piece."

Jounouchi inhaled and slowly exhaled. "Yeah...yeah, okay. Just...fuck man. I know this is a game, but...but damn..."

Flashing the light around them, Seto jumped only to growl when he saw the little girl smiling and waving over at them. He quickly stood up, and Jounouchi, sensing him, looked over in the direction of the light. "Hey, hey you!" he shouted, quickly getting to his feet. "Get the hell over here!"

"Jounouchi?!" Seto's eyes widened. He watched in horror as Jounouchi ran forward. The girl giggled and began to run, leaving bloody footprints behind. "Jou?!" He took a step forward when another noise caught his attention. Sobbing. Behind him.

Followed by the sound of the shutter door opening.

_Shit, shit, shit! _Seto didn't even bother looking back. Instead, he chased after Jounouchi, who himself was chasing after the girl. _What the hell, Jou?! I thought I said stick together?! _He watched as Jounouchi followed the little girl into another room, and Seto briefly looked up with his flashlight to read the sign** Maps and Atlases **above. A screech behind him caught his attention, and he turned around.

Standing in the room was 'Big Sis.' Tears of blood flowed down her cheeks as she cried aloud, revealing her black teeth. Falling to her knees, she began crawling towards Seto, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She held out the dagger, swiping this way and that as she crawled forward.

Seto turned and immediately entered the **Maps and Atlases** room, slamming the door shut behind him. Another screech pierced the silence. He flashed his light around. "Jounouchi?!"

"Over here!"

Dashing down the aisle, he found Jounouchi pulling out maps like a crazed man. "What the fuck, Jounouchi?! Why did you run?!"

"'Cuz I wanna get outta here, that's why! And look!" Pulling a giant atlas from the shelf, he slammed it on the floor. Seto looked down to see the girl standing next to Jounouchi, smiling with that creepy smile. Jounouchi began to violently flip through the pages, and Seto gasped when he saw a piece of paper fall out.

"There!" Kneeling down, he set the flashlight down on the floor and swiftly pulled the pieces of the photo from his pocket. The girl giggled behind them, and Seto could hear the older sister's screeching getting louder, meaning she was getting closer. He laid the pieces of the picture down. Jounouchi grabbed the fourth and set it next to the atlas.

"That goes there," Seto muttered. The little girl's giggles continued as he uncrumpled the pieces. The sound of a shutter door tearing pierced through the air. The older sister was in the room, or at least forcing her way inside. The sound of the knife slashing through the shutter caused his heart to skip a beat.

He set the pieces down in the correct order, creating a full picture. The little girl stopped giggling and quickly reached forward, placing her bloody hand on the photo. She smiled with black teeth up at Jounouchi and Seto. Jounouchi, without hesitation, placed his hand on top of hers. Seto slowly did the same.

A vibrating sensation could be felt beneath them, and Seto watched as the tears in the image began to fade. The sound of the older sister screaming suddenly echoed throughout the room. The image slowly restored itself, and when the final tear disappeared, a white light appeared underneath. Within seconds, it engulfed the entire room, and Seto watched as the bookshelves, the creepy girl, the image, and Jounouchi all faded into the white light.

And then, there was silence.


	11. 11 : Negative Side Effects

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to give a big shout-out to you guys who are checking out this fanfic. We reached over 1,000 views this week, which is always an exciting milestone to reach with a story! Thank you so much for all the feedback, all the views, and all the favorites! You guys are the best!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11 : Negative Side Effects<strong>

Seto looked around in all directions. All he could see was the white light. He felt as though he was lying down on something, a chair or recliner, and no matter what he did or tried, he couldn't get up. His body felt entirely numb, as though a heavy blanket was over him. He couldn't move...and didn't really want to move. Only his mind seemed to be working. _Where...where am I?_

"What the FUCK is going on?!"

It was muffled, but the anger in the voice penetrated the silence that surrounded him. Seto frowned. He slowly clenched his hands into fists. He had to move. He had to know whose voice that was.

"Put him back in, NOW! Get him the sedative!"

_A...a sedative? _With all the strength in his body that he could muster, Seto reached up with his right hand. Despite seeing nothing but the piercing white light, he felt resistance. _What is this? It...it feels like...like glass…_

"DO IT!"

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Seto watched as the white light faded, pixel by pixel, until it completely vanished. The image of his bedroom appeared before him in a flash. He was now lying in the middle of the bed, his arm raised up in mid-air. The white light was gone, as was the muffled voice. Silence filled the room. He blinked as the heaviness he felt before lifted, allowing him to breathe normally. For a few seconds, he merely looked up at his hand. _What...what was that? What just happened? I… How did I get back here?_

He let his hand fall down to his side as he slowly pushed himself up. Looking around, he saw that he was indeed in the virtual bedroom. He knew it was virtual, as the image of himself and Akume that he set down was still sitting on the dresser. _What the hell was that? _he thought as his mind began to clear up. Despite the pressure being gone, he suddenly felt lethargic, as though he had taken a long nap._ I… Jounouchi and I, we finished the photo. A light appeared, and then...then I was sitting in something. Not the bed. A recliner of some sort. And… _His eyes wandered down to his hand. _Glass. I know I felt glass there, hovering above me. How? What was I really feeling? Was I… Was I in a virtual pod, in that moment? Was my mind trying to escape this Hell? Did I...almost escape?_

His head suddenly ached, and he groaned before flopping back down on the bed. Closing his eyes, he brought a pillow close to him and rested his head on it. _What the hell...where is Jounouchi? What is happening? Why is my head pounding like this? Is it because-_

"GAAAH!"

Opening his eyes, Seto looked up only to cry out in surprise. Rolling off the bed, he barely dodged Jounouchi as the blonde fell down through the ceiling onto the bed, landing hard on the cushions. Surprisingly, the blonde made no sound other than his cry of shock. The hole in the ceiling immediately vanished, and Seto's jaw dropped at the stunned duelist now lying in the middle of the bed. The blonde appeared to be equally stunned. His eyes were wide, and Seto watched as he inhaled and slowly exhaled, as if catching his breath. "Jounouchi?!" Standing off the floor, he shouted, "What the fuck?! What just happened?!"

It took a few seconds before Jounouchi blinked in shock. He glanced over at Kaiba, and his eyes widened upon seeing the CEO. Bolting upright, Jounouchi shouted, "Dude, what?! Wha... What happened?! Tell me, Money Bags! One minute, we're puttin' that picture together, and the next, you're gone, and I'm fallin' through the ceiling onto your bed!"

Jounouchi's voice did little to ease Seto's growing headache, and he mentally growled before asking, "Wait...did you...see that white light?" His mind was reeling from the past few moments' events._ Did Jounouchi almost escape, too? Why would he? He's here of his own free will._

Seto looked up. Jou's eyes widened even more. He pointed at Seto and exclaimed, "Yeah, yeah I did! And then you vanished, and then I began falling! But it was only for, like, a second or so. I didn't see ya or hear anythin', and then the next thing I know, BAM! I'm on your bed!"

Seto wasn't sure what to think of that._ So...maybe that white light meant we completed the first puzzle? But then, whose voice was that? The person that I heard? That Jounouchi apparently didn't hear?_ Releasing a heavy sigh, Seto slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. He turned his back to Jounouchi, placing his aching head in his hands. "Did...did we complete the first puzzle?"

"How the fuck should I know?! This game is so fucking just fucked! Creepy girls and creepier areas and fuckin' ghosts and-"

Slamming his hands down on the bed, Seto sprung up and turned to look at Jounouchi. "Shut up!" he shouted, the headache threatening his very skull. "I just asked a simple fucking question! I don't know anymore than you do as to what is going on! Just how the FUCK should I know what just…what just..." He groaned loudly. The pain in his skull was killing him, dulling his thoughts. He closed his eyes and placed his right hand to his head. "How...how should I…" He suddenly felt extremely light-headed. His words left him. He groaned again as his stomach flipped inside him. "What the...what's going on…"

"H-Hey, hey!" He heard Jounouchi move around the bed and soon felt the blonde's hands on his shoulders. He felt like he was swaying, like he was on a ship. "Come on, man, just sit down. Breathe. Take it easy for a minute." Seto slowly opened his eyes to see Jounouchi's hazel ones staring back at him. A worried expression was painted across his face. Having little energy to resist, he allowed the blonde to sit him back down on the edge of the bed. "I-I'm going to go back to see if Kota is picking up or noticing anything. I'll be right back, I promise. Just...just rest for a minute, okay? You look...you look sick, man."

Seto slowly nodded. Leaning back on the bed, he watched as Jounouchi brought up a game menu and clicked a few buttons. Soon his image began to fade until he was no longer in the game, leaving Seto alone. He groaned. Jounouchi was right. He felt sick, incredibly sick.

For several minutes, he simply laid there, not knowing what else to do and having little energy to consider a plan. As his headache began to fade, however, he recalled what he saw and groaned as his stomach once again turned. _That was me...trying to escape, _he reflected._ I was, for that brief moment, out of the game, or at least trying to get out. It had to be. The glass, the other voices...that wasn't in the game. The sedative...they're sedating me? Whoever kidnapped me is drugging me? Is that how they are keeping me in the game for so long? _The thought made him feel even more nauseous. _Am I sick because of this game? Or is it because I'm being maltreated in the real world? Maybe it's the sedative. Is that why I feel this way? If they're drugging me...it could impact my mentality in the game. _The thought made him shiver. _I have to get out of here. Fast. And we only did one puzzle. Didn't the note say there were four?_

His eyes instinctively opened and searched out for the bedroom door. Slowly pushing himself up, he managed to stand and, using the bed for support, walked around the room. A white note was placed in the same position as the others directly in front of the door. Reaching forward, he grasped onto the doorknob. _Might as well try._ He twisted. It didn't open. He sighed and leaned his back against the door before sliding to the floor._ Can't say I'm surprised._

Closing his eyes, he merely sat, his hands in his lap, his chest slowly rising and falling. The pain traveled from his head, to his chest, to his stomach, then back to his head, making him feel ready to vomit. He wanted to purge himself of this awful feeling, whatever it was. But until he had the strength to do so, he figured he would merely sit here_. There is no need to push myself, especially if Jounouchi isn't here. It isn't like I'm going anywhere without that mutt. _He hated to admit it, but Jounouchi had been surprisingly helpful in the library._ Yeah, he panicked, but I can't say I wasn't feeling a bit overwhelmed. And if he hadn't chased after that little girl...we might not have found that final piece. _He openly scoffed._ Now I know I'm exhausted. I'm praising Jounouchi Katsuya._

Sighing, Seto slowly opened his eyes once more. The note on the floor caught his attention, as did the line of photos placed on the dresser across the room. He shrugged. There was no point in worrying about what else was in this room that didn't belong. Instead, he reached forward and picked up the note off the floor.

"Kaiba," he read aloud, "I want to congratulate you. You are resilient; you solved the first puzzle. You are one step closer to being released.

I admit, my notes will be much more sporadic from here on out. I can only give you so much help without attracting attention. Indeed, I fear my notes are already doing so. I will try to write down as much as possible in this one note; be careful not to lose it.

The second puzzle is located in a card and opium den. Unfortunately, it is on the complete opposite side of town, directly south of the library. Travel during the day. The ghosts that haunt the puzzle areas will be there whether it is night or day, but traveling the town by day is much safer. The ghosts that wander randomly throughout the village should be in hiding then. Do not expect a friendly NPC. The little girl in the library was an anomaly. From now on, expect all ghosts to be against you. They all hide during the day. Except for one. One in blue.

Beware the woman in blue, Kaiba. She is somehow stronger than the average spirit that haunts that game. If you see her, immediately hide and wait for her to leave. Do not attempt to fight her. In fact, do not attempt to fight any of the ghosts. They are invincible. Should you attack and paralyze them, they will only get right back up. Use your wits. I'm sure you've learned this by now, but I forgot to mention this. There are so many things I feel I am forgetting… I merely hope this helps.

Go to the card den and complete the second puzzle. While you are gone, I will try to send a note regarding the third puzzle. If I can't, know that the third puzzle is located directly across the street from the second. Do not attempt the third before the second, else you will be locked out of the area. I don't know what would happen then.

I sincerely hope my notes are helping, Kaiba. I hope you are all right. I'm...sorry I can't be more useful.

-A Friend"

Seto sighed as he let the paper fall down to the floor next to him. _This friend...just who the hell is this person? I don't know anyone who writes in this style. Kota is always short, sweet, and to the point. Mokuba scribbles like a child with crayons and types the way he speaks. This reads like a manual of some sort. So then who is helping me? _He once again sighed in frustration. _Go to the town during the day, huh…_ His eyes instinctively wandered over to look in the direction of the clock. _4:00 am...and time skips forward several hours when we go from the bedroom to the game. _He looked around the room. Outside, the moon was beginning to set. _Perfect timing. So long as Jounouchi comes back soon, we can head out right away. Until then… _Using the door for support, Seto pushed himself back up and walked over to the bed. His stomach was no longer doing flips and turns, but his head still felt heavy, and he knew walking around the town in this condition would not end well._ Whether it's a sedative or my real body rejecting the game or even just my adrenaline, I have to be at one-hundred percent if I want to make it through this. _

He walked over to the bed and laid down, grabbing the pillow from before for extra comfort. Peeking over at the window, he thought,_ I wonder what Jounouchi is telling everyone. _He frowned. Glancing down at his card necklace, he opened the locket up. The image always caused him to smile, even in the worst situations, and this time was no different. _Mokuba... I just want to be out of here. Back home, back with Mokuba… Just...out of here. But there's no point in pining over such things. It just wastes time. I need to focus, and in order to focus, I need to rest. If only...if only for a little bit..._

Closing the locket, Seto inhaled and slowly exhaled before letting his eyelids fall. For a split second, it did indeed feel like he was in his bedroom at home, with the comfortable silence surrounding him after a hard day's work. He didn't mean to, but after a minute or so passed, the exhaustion hit him full force, and he fell into a sound slumber.


	12. 12 : Respect

Hello again, everyone! Just wanted to say thank you once again for all the views and comments! I'm working hard to make sure this story is better quality from here on out; reading back on some of the early chapters, I'm woefully disappointed by my lack of detail. So from now on, I'm going to put much more effort into making sure these chapters are of high quality.

I hope you all are enjoying the story thus far and continue to do so! Thanks again for all your support!

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><p><strong>Chapter 12 : Respect<strong>

_Seto remembered bowing towards the older gentleman. He knew who this man was and had been told to show proper respect, so he bowed a little more than usual. "Pleased to meet you, Kaiba Seto," the man greeted. He smiled warmly down at him. "I have heard much about you from Gozaburo. It is exciting to meet you in person. The little boy who beat Gozaburo in a chess match..."_

_"Stuff it, Takahashi," Gozaburo scolded. As usual, the old man was ready to be gone from the party before he even arrived. Seto wondered for the millionth time why these people kept inviting Gozaburo._

_Takahashi laughed. "Oh, Gozaburo. Never one to have a sense of humor. But please, take off your coats, and I will show you to the festivities."_

_"How many people are here?" inquired Gozaburo as he waited for a butler to help him out of his jacket. Seto listened closely as he did the same, undoing his own coat without assistance and placing it on the coat hanger next to the mahogany double doors._

_"Oh, close to 150, I think," Takahashi. "It is, after all, my fortieth birthday. Wanted to do something a bit over the top." Gozaburo grunted, causing Takahashi to chuckle. Glancing back down at Seto, he added, "And I'm sure my son would love to meet you, Seto. He has a fondness for games, too, you know?"_

_Seto's eyes widened. It was the first party that he was greeted cordially. Usually Gozaburo's lies and slander reached the manors before he did, and by then, the damage was already done. He merely bowed once more, not knowing what else to do, before following Gozaburo and the host of the party into an adjacent room._

_By now, Seto was used to seeing large groups of people, so it came as no surprise when he was greeted by the sight of at least 100 guests, all dressed in their best attire. Groups of businessmen huddled together along the walls while their wives sat at makeshift tables sipping alcohol and gossiping. A few couples danced in the middle of the marble floor, and the sounds of piano music filled the space. Fluorescent lights illuminated the entire room, giving it a slightly blue glow. "Go ahead, Seto, introduce yourself around," Takahashi noted. "My son is the one playing piano."_

_Seto slowly glanced up at Gozaburo. The old man didn't seem very amused about Seto enjoying tonight, but he nodded nevertheless. Not questioning his good fortune, he rushed across the room towards the sound of the piano only to blink in surprise._

_The first thing he noted was the boy's long, blonde hair. The boy's fingers deftly moved across the piano keys, the sounds of Chopin escaping from the open top. Seto slowly approached. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, custom-made for his short height. The boy seemed to sense Seto's presence, for he turned and looked at him curiously with black eyes. A smile crossed his thin lips. "Let me finish this song real quick..." the boy noted. _

_Seto nodded. Sitting on a nearby chair, he listened to the music, watching as the boy focused on the keys alone. It was obvious he had it memorized, for no sheet music was visible on the stand. A few minutes passed, during which Seto dumbly stared at him, before the boy's fingers hit the final note, allowing it to ring out for dramatic effect. Several people clapped their hands, but the blonde-haired boy only turned to look at Seto. "You are...Kaiba Seto, no?"_

_Seto slowly nodded. _

_The boy smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Takahashi Akume. Pleased to meet'cha!"_

_For the first time in months, Seto felt a smile of his own cross his lips as he shook Akume's hand._

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><p>He flinched as the sensation of light pierced through his closed eyelids. Groaning slightly into the pillow, Seto rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes. The ceiling of the virtual room greeted him. <em>What the... Did I fall asleep?<em>

"Yo, Money Bags!"

The blonde's voice pierced through Seto's thoughts, and he quickly bolted upright to see Jounouchi standing near the end of the bed. He was smiling that cheeky smile of his, but that wasn't what Seto noted. No, what he noted was that, in one of the mutt's hands, was a photo taken off the dresser.

"What the...what are you doing?" Instinct took over before his body could comprehend what he was doing. Jumping out of bed, he dashed towards Jounouchi, hoping to snatch the photo away. Jounouchi seemed to brace himself for the impact, and Seto, just recovering from feeling nauseous, was significantly weaker than usual. Seto was therefore caught off-guard when Jounouchi not only held his ground against the brunette but chuckled loudly at Seto's behavior.

"Just seein' if you were feelin' better," Jounouchi remarked, holding Seto's shoulder back to keep from falling backwards. "I figured pickin' up a photo would work you up. You been sleepin' awhile, though, man. You sure weren't feein' well."

Seto blinked in surprise. Turning, he was shocked to see that the clock on the nightstand flashed 6:30 AM. "Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked, turning his attention back to the blonde.

"'Cuz you were sick!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "And I wasn't gonna be the guy who woke up the big, bad CEO of KaibaCorp!"

Seto scoffed. "Whatever..." Taking a step back, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, clearing his vision. He still felt a little tired, but he had to shake it off. He already wasted enough time resting. "How long have you been here?"

"Eh? Oh, probably only 'bout fifteen minutes or so. I spoke with Kota about what's goin' on, and he said he can't find anythin' on the monitors. He's back watchin', though, so we got one less thing to worry 'bout. And I spoke with Mokuba, too. He's doin' all right. Worried sick 'bout you, though." Holding the photo up, he added, "By the way, these photos are pretty cool. How old were ya when this was taken?"

Seto's eyes slowly wandered down to look at the photo. It was a picture from the orphanage, with Seto sitting on the front porch and Mokuba next to him. A chess board was placed between the two, and they were smiling in the direction of the photographer. A few other kids were walking about in the background, but the two siblings were the focal point of the image. Grabbing the photo from Jounouchi, he sighed heavily. "This was...from the orphanage," he answered. Reaching forward, he set it back down on the dresser only to sigh in frustration by what he saw. "Why the hell did you lift this photo back up?"

"Hmmm?" Glancing down, Jounouchi blinked in surprise. "I didn't..."

"What?" Snatching the photo, Seto looked down to see the image of Akume and himself.

"Yeah, it was set back up when I came back," Jounouchi replied. "I knew you'd be pissed I was lookin' at your photos to begin with; why would I tempt you killin' me to see one stupid photo?"

Seto frowned. His eyes instinctively scanned the photo, and he sighed as the memory of his dream filled his mind. "I suppose I believe you."

"So who is that?" asked Jounouchi as Seto placed the photo back down.

"I already told you, he was an old friend," Seto replied. "Someone I knew years ago."

"You two were pretty close?"

"Yes."

"I can tell. I know I said this before, but damn man, you look so happy. When was it taken?"

Seto bit his lower lip. "At a party. For some investors. He was the child of one of Gozaburo's clients."

"Huh, that's pretty cool. So what happened to him?"

"I told you before, mutt. We no longer speak."

"Mind if I ask what happened?"

"Yes, actually, I do." Glaring slightly at Jounouchi, he asked, "Did you find anything out about this game?" His dream was still bothering him, and the last thing he needed to do now was dig into the past. His best bet was to change subjects, and fast.

Jounouchi shook his head. "I read the note regarding the second and third puzzles and timin' and stuff, but no, I didn't figure anything else out."

Seto slowly nodded. Glancing back at the clock, he said, "Well, if we go now, it will still be daylight." A sudden thought struck him, however, and he quickly looked back over at Jounouchi. "What time is it in the real world?"

"Past dinnertime," Jounouchi answered. "Time sure does fly when you're bein' chased by ghosts, I suppose."

Seto's jaw dropped slightly, and he sighed in frustration at the blonde. "Then what are you still doing here?"

Jounouchi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Sighing heavily, he said, "I mean, why the hell are you wasting your time helping me?"

Jounouchi tilted his head to the side, as if baffled by the question. Placing his hands in his pockets, his voice took on a surprisingly serious tone when he asked the simple question, "Honestly?"

Seto blinked. "Of course, honestly!"

To Seto's surprise, Jounouchi reached out and grabbed the photo once more of Seto and Mokuba smiling and playing chess. "'Cuz despite the fact that you're a total prick to me, you got a heart, Kaiba. You do a lot, especially for your little brother. And I can respect that. I know how hard it can be, with taking care of Serenity and all that, to be the responsible sibling. I've had to take some shitty jobs and do some dirty shit to get by, but I got by for the sake of my sister. You do a lot and sacrifice a lot for Mokuba, and Mokuba greatly respects ya for it. And if you were a true asshole, Mokuba wouldn't have turned out half as good as he is, ya know what I mean? You've gotta be nice at some point of the day if he walks around with a smile on his face all the time." Seto's eyes slowly widened. He watched as Jounouchi set the photo back down. "So yeah, that's why I'm helpin' ya. Everyone is lookin' for ya in the real world, which leaves me to play this game with ya. And I don't mind helpin' ya, 'cuz even a prick like you doesn't deserve this fate. You do a lot of stuff for your brother. Hell, maybe that's why you come across as so uncaring at times, to protect the little kid. I know I went through a phase, too, where I hid my emotions from Serenity. But bottom line is this. You're a good brother, Kaiba, and as an older brother, I can respect you, no matter how shitty of a human you sometimes come across as being."

A silence hung in the air as Seto processed the blonde's words. It suddenly hit him all at once what Jounouchi was putting himself through for his sake. He was using his day, avoiding work in the process, to help Seto through a sincerely Hellish scenario. He figured it was because Mokuba convinced him to do so, like promising new tech or a KaibaCorp secret. But no, Jounouchi was doing this on his own, because he understood, at least in an abstract sort of way, that Seto made sacrifices for Mokuba and that he was a good brother. Most saw Seto as uncaring and devoid of emotion, doing only what was necessary for the bottom line. He assumed Jounouchi was the same, given their constant battles. But everything Seto ever did, every deal he ever made, was so that Mokuba could enjoy a better life.

The fact that the dumb mutt understood that concept left Seto with few words.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Seto let his eyes wander back to the photos on the dresser. "I guess... Well... Thanks, mutt."

"Hey, don't be gettin' all sappy on me now!" Jounouchi joked, lightly punching him in the shoulder as he did so. "That's never a good sign!"

Seto cleared his throat as he looked back up at Jounouchi. "Yes, well...let's get this done with."

Jounouchi nodded and smiled at him. "You got it, Money Bags."


	13. 13: Walk Across Town

So this weekend is my grandmother's funeral; therefore, I won't be able to update much over this weekend. Expect an update probably Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thank you for your guys' continued patience and support with this story. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 13 : Walk Across Town<strong>

Seto was almost afraid to reenter the virtual reality. The two had teleported from the library directly to the bedroom without the use of a computer, with a visit to the real world somehow interrupting the link. He couldn't help but wonder where they would land upon entering the game.

It was to his great relief, then, that they appeared outside the front doors of the library after interacting with his curious laptop. The sun hanging overhead was the first thing he noticed, and he couldn't help but smirk victoriously at timing their arrival. Even with his small nap, they made it just in time. He glanced down to see the flashlight in his hand and quickly turned it off, wanting to preserve battery life just in case. "Man, it's so empty now..." he heard Jounouchi mutter. Indeed, looking up and down the street, Seto noticed the severe lack of ghosts walking about. The shadows of the buildings were longer than any natural shadow, covering much of the street, but he knew now that they were only hiding the woman in blue and not randomly wandering beings. Jounouchi stood directly next to him, straightening his denim jacket as he scanned their surroundings.

_Those notes continue to be_ correct, Seto frowned, however, at recalling the second part. _Still, the sun doesn't guarantee our safety. I would rather avoid an encounter with that woman. _"Let's move," he stated curtly, walking down the pathway through the dead garden. Jounouchi's footsteps echoed behind him as they crunched over the vines and rotten flower petals. Without the groans of ghosts or the shuffling of other people, their noises seemed to echo to the very edges of the game, making him paranoid despite the sunlight. Coming out onto the dirt road, Seto looked right and left. _No sign of any ghosts or that woman in blue. Good._

"So the next puzzle is to the south, right?" asked Jounouchi.

Seto turned to look at the blonde. "Yeah, the complete opposite end of the town, apparently."

"Well, I'd rather go in sunlight than at night," Jounouchi muttered. Seto couldn't help but nod in agreement. Turning on his heels, he began walking down the street. His eyes continued to scan their surroundings, looking for any sign of enemies. Everything appeared to be normal, or as normal as things in such a game could be. After passing a few blocks, he released a heavy sigh, figuring the worst was over for now.

"Seems like things are okay," Seto muttered.

"Yeah, I'll say. There's no sign of anybody!"

"Hmph. Don't jinx us."

"Like you're one to believe in superstition."

Seto chuckled despite himself. "You're right about that."

"Yo Kaiba. Probably a stupid question, but did you believe in ghosts and stuff? Ya know, as a kid?"

Seto shrugged. "I suppose."

Jounouchi chuckled. "Damn, wasn't expecting that response."

"I believed a lot of dumb things as a kid. We all do."

"Honestly, I don't know if I ever believed in them. Serenity did. She was always scared of a supposed ghost in our attic. And then one time, I went on a ghost-huntin' trip with Tristan, but damn, it was boring as Hell. Just sittin' there waitin' for somethin' to happen. Tristan was peeing his pants the whole damn time, and I still tell him we didn't see anything. Man just scared himself."

"What makes you think I care about what you and Tristan do?"

"I don't think you care. In fact, I know you don't care. Just figured you'd like hearing the sound of my voice over the silence in this area. Was I wrong?"

Seto frowned, remembering the silence of the starred room back in the library, how it unnerved him against his better judgment. _I hate to admit it,_ he thought as they crossed another intersection, _but Jounouchi is helping me a lot by just...being here. _

"So Kaiba, any ideas on what happened when we finished that puzzle? How we got teleported back to the bedroom or what-not? I was thinkin' of stuff as I talked to Mokuba, but I got nothing. Mokuba said it was prob just a sign that we finished the puzzle. I told 'im how poorly designed the game is and stuff, and he was like, "Yeah, they probably just sent you guys back." But I dunno."

Seto smirked. It was nice knowing that his brother was thinking of the game, too. Another mind in figuring the game out was always welcome. "I have a theory," he admitted, "but it doesn't really make sense..."

"Uh, Kaiba, I dunno if you noticed, but this _whole game_ doesn't make any sense. So what'dya think happened?"

Seto turned to look directly at Jounouchi. The boy's hazel eyes were staring curiously at him. Seto knew he could ask without feeling his reputation was in jeopardy. "Did you hear a voice when you were falling? Through that white light, I mean?"

"A...voice?" Seto watched as Jounouchi scratched his head in confusion. "Nah, man. One second, everything was this bright white light, then the next, I was fallin' into your room. No voices. Why? Did you hear someone?"

"Yes," Seto answered. "Someone was talking about...about a sedative. And putting me back into the game."

Jounouchi's eyes widened as his arms fell to his sides. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I think it means someone is keeping me alive only to torture me with this game," Seto expounded. "And I think it means my mind was trying to escape this Hell when we completed the first puzzle." He looked down at the palm of his hand and frowned. "I felt... For a second there, I felt glass above me. It must have been the virtual pod I was in. Am in. My real body is rejecting this game. They're doing something to keep me inside here. When we completed that puzzle, I... My mind must have gotten a second wind and tried to escape. That's probably why I felt sick when I woke up."

Jounouchi visibly shivered. "Damn... That's creepy shit." Seto nodded in agreement. "But hey, at least we got this 'friend' or whoever helpin' us out. Otherwise, who knows where we would be?"

Seto again nodded. "I think that's the point of this game. If you and the person leaving these notes behind weren't here, I would be doing circles and being chased by the ghosts. Eventually I would either go mad in the game or die in the real world." He felt his stomach turn at the mere thought.

Jounouch must have sensed his fear, for he pat Seto on the shoulder and smiled slightly at him. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here then, along with our buddy. Any idea who the guy writin' the notes might be? It sure as Hell ain't me."

Seto shook his head. "It has to be someone with at least a basic understanding of the game. Perhaps an insider who disagrees with what's taking place. But I have no idea who has trapped me, so it's almost impossible to guess as to who is assisting us."

"I know Kota wishes he could help us out. That guy's freakin' out even more than Isono, and Isono seems pretty damned chilled by the thing."

Seto frowned. "Why is that?"

Jounouchi laughed, to his great surprise. "What, shocked your own guards are worried 'bout your safety, Kaiba?"

"No, that is their job. But why is Kota curiously worked up?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it 'curious.' I don't distrust the guy, after all. I get the feeling he thinks he's pretty responsible about this mess. He told us, after all, it was his job to pick you up after work, but you never showed. Then there's what he said at lunch, that he's only been workin' for ya for 'bout a year. He's worried this'll look bad on his resume."

Seto's frown deepened. _Why would Kota be worried about my reactions to him? He did nothing wrong...though he _was _supposed to pick me up that night. Was that him in the limo who brought me home? Did I make it home? _

"How did you find Kota, anyways?" asked Jounouchi, interrupting his train of thought. "Are people linin' up to protect the Kaiba family?"

Seto once again shook his head. "Honestly, his resume fell right into my lap. He seemed stunned that I even had it in my possession, and he was quite nervous at his interview. He had just been laid off from a pretty big job, supposedly, but I liked what he had to offer, and he had excellent recommendations. I knew after all the problems I encountered during Battle City and what-not that I needed someone else around just in case something happened. Getting a relative newcomer was a big step, but Kota has always done his job well."

"He seems like a nice enough guy."

"Yes..." _Though I'd still like to know what his relationship to the night I went missing is. I remember someone looking like him taking me home in the limo. But if my dreams are anything to go off of, and that's a stretch at best, it didn't sound like him. Just...looked like him. So was it him? _

"Is that how you found Isono, too?"

Seto glanced over at Jounouchi. "Why do you care where I get my security staff?"

"Just curious. And you didn't outright say you hated me talkin' to ya to keep your mind off this crazy game."

Seto slowly returned his gaze to the road before them. "Isono... Isono briefly worked under Gozaburo. When Gozaburo fell to his death, he was one of the very few people I kept around."

"What did you do with the others?"

Seto smirked. "Fired their asses."

Jounouchi openly scoffed. "Nice, Kaiba. Puttin' people out of a job 'cuz you don't like them."

The sudden spike of anger caused Seto to stop cold in his tracks. He shot the mutt a swift glare, causing Jounouchi to stop and blink in surprise. "I didn't fire them because I didn't like them," Seto countered, his voice turning to ice. "I fired them because they were all scumbags. They betrayed me every chance they had. I didn't trust them when they worked under Gozaburo; how would I be able to trust them with him gone? Would _you_ keep people who backstabbed you employed?"

Jounouchi's eyes slowly widened. "Um...no."

"Exactly. So don't judge me on firing those assholes when they deserved less than a paycheck."

"If you don't mind my asking...how did they betray you?"

Seto growled. "Lots of ways. Needless to say, I got rid of everyone who proved to me that my best interests were not their own." Glancing up at the signs on the buildings, he was surprised to see in the distance a sign for a card shop. "Looks like this is our next destination. Come on, we're wasting time discussing these things."

"Yeah... I guess you're right. But, uh... Sorry, man. Didn't mean to generalize. Just...you know..."

Seto sighed. Waving his hand, he muttered, "It's nothing. We have much more important things to worry about now."

"Thanks. Let's just get this over with. Hopefully there won't be any ghosts in this place."

Remembering the note, Seto swallowed hard. _Let's just hope we can hide from them. Because if what that note said is true...then we have some enemies to look forward to. _


	14. 14 : The Card Shop

_Hey everyone!_

_So, the funeral is over, my health is okay, and I don't see any reason for not updating in a timely manner anymore. So hopefully you'll be seeing two or three chapters a week, just like I hoped from the start! _

_Thank you once again for all your patience with this story! I'm really hoping you guys are enjoying it! _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 : The Card Shop<strong>

Pushing the shutter door to the card shop open, Seto was unsurprised to find it nearly pitch black inside the building. Only a light ray of sunlight entered, and it was quickly swallowed whole by the darkness. He sighed in frustration as he raised the flashlight and turned it on. "Doesn't look like there are any enemies walking around right now," he noted out loud, waving his flashlight around as he slowly took a step inside. Jounouchi followed suit behind him, closing shut the door and effectively blocking out the only natural light.

"What the...?" Jounouchi frowned as he approached Seto. "Where are we?"

Seto's eyes widened as he, too, scanned their surroundings. This was not what he anticipated for a card shop. An open, perfectly-square lobby greeted them, vacant except for a few wooden benches and potted plants. On all sides were shutter doors leading into connected rooms, and two stairwells near the back led up to the second floor balcony. Seto couldn't make out what was up there on the second floor due to the darkness, but the wooden, central pillars appeared to go up and up, disappearing above them into the pitch black ceiling. Returning the light to what was in front of them, he slowly took a step forward, listening as it echoed off the wooden panel flooring.

"Creepy...just like everything else in this fucking game..." Jounouchi muttered.

Seto swallowed hard. The more he examined, the more on edge he became. The room was not as empty as he had been led to believe. Sake cups littered the floor, as did empty boxes of cards, matches, flower petals, and other paraphenalia. Paintings that bordered on pornographic images hung from the walls, depicting beautifully nude women in natural settings, like hot springs or a forest. He realized that it was not a regular card shop but a brothel.

A brothel that looked as though a major fight had just occurrred in.

"Blood," Jounouchi nearly spat, pointing on the floor in front of him. "Surprise, surprise. Blood trails. Don't tell me we have to follow another ghost around."

"I don't believe so," Seto answered, flashing the light on the multitude of bloody footprints, blood trails, and even bloodied pottery. No weapons, though. "The note from our friend indicated that the little girl we saw was the only friendly ghost we would encounter."

Seto listened as Jounouchi sighed heavily. "Not sure which is worse... Following a friendly ghost, or having no friendly ghosts at all."

By now, Seto was standing in the middle of the lobby. Pointing his flashlight upwards, he frowned in dismay when he saw no sign of the ceiling. With the light that he had, he could only make out the first and second floors. _Just how big of a place is this?_ he thought as he slowly turned, counting the number of doors on the first floor as he did so. _And will we have to examine every room? Unlock every door?_ He groaned. _No, there has to be an objective. Whoever imprisoned me in here wants me to wander around aimlessly for eternity. But every game has an objective. _

"Yo Kaiba, come here a sec."

Blinking, Seto turned and flashed the light towards Jounouchi, who was now standing in front of one of the many shutter doors located on the first floor. He watched as Jounouchi slowly pushed the shutter open, the sound grating and echoing in the emptiness of the lobby. Curiosity got the better of him, and he quickly rushed over to the blonde's side, using the flashlight to see into the room.

What he saw made his stomach turn.

Two overturned, wooden tables lay precariously on the floor. The mats used to sit on were covered in sake and wine, stained beyond use. Blood stains covered the floor and were splashed against the walls like paint. Dirt from a destroyed bonzai tree was scattered on the floor, and Seto's eyes widened when he noticed a pattern outlined in the dirt. "Footprints... Distinct footprints."

"Yeah," Jounouchi replied, his voice much lower than before. "Someone else has been here. Maybe recently, too."

Seto's lips pursed together. "Most likely a ghost or two... We better do what we came here to do."

"Which was?"

"Solve a puzzle," Seto replied, turning on his heels as he did so.

"And how do we solve this particular puzzle?"

"That's the tricky part..." Indeed, Seto had nothing to go off of in terms of clues or hints. _The note from the room told us where to find the second puzzle but not what the puzzle was or how to solve it. We don't even know what we are looking for..._ Seto's frown deepened. _I cannot imagine where I would be if it wasn't for our friend or Jounouchi. If I entered this place, thinking I could just walk out of this game, when there are ghosts around..._ He shivered. _Why am I thinking like this? I need to focus. I need to figure out this game and get the hell out of here. Reflecting on horrifying 'what ifs' gets one nowhere._

He shook his head to brush aside the negative thoughts before turning his flashlight in the direction of the lobby. _Might as well see if there are any clues in here..._ Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Jounouchi quickly approaching him, that cheeky grin on his face. "Did you find anything?" he inquired, hoping the blonde's grin meant success.

To his surprise, Jounouchi shook his head no. "I went to search," he admitted, "but then I kinda remembered I don't have a flashlight. And how am I supposed ta look around when it's this dark?"

Seto growled slightly in frustration. _If only I hadn't lost the first one...then we would each have one, and it would make searching this place so much easier._ He watched as the blonde slowly walked around in a wide circle, examining the contents on the ground. Seto himself began examining the doors around them, using the light to search for anything that stood out. _A name, a key, a picture... Anything that might indicate a clue as to our objective._

"Hey Kaiba, point the light over here, man."

Looking down, Seto saw that Jounouchi was kneeling next to an overturned table. He frowned at being ordered around but nevertheless pointed the light at the blonde. Seto watched in confusion as he turned over the table, setting it right-side up. "I thought it looked weird...check this out!"

Indeed, Seto noticed it as well now that the table was properly placed. Approaching the table, he laid his hand down on the wood and felt the two perfectly rectangular imprints carved into the material. "How did you notice this?" he asked.

"Well, I mean, none of the other tables have these indents."

"But how did you know to look for this?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "You might not give me a ton of credit, Kaiba, but I can pay attention to details when it means my survival." The blonde returned his attention to the table, feeling around it with his hands for anything suspicious. "On the streets, a light in a nearby alleyway might mean the difference between a fight and an easy way home. A weird car could be owned by an enemy. Noises in my house often meant my dad was drunk. I'm not good in school, but I know how to pay attention to surroundings." Slamming his hands down in frustration, he muttered, "Shit, nothing that fits into these things. Maybe we gotta find 'em? Whatever fits in these indents, I mean. Could that be the puzzle?"

Seto was too busy processing the blonde's words to really be paying any bit of attention to him. _What in the world is he talking about? His dad is...was a drunk?_ He bit his lower lip. _What the hell..._

"Uh, Kaiba, you a'ight, man?"

Noticing Jounouchi's hands waving in front of his face, he brushed them aside, though not as roughly as he had before. "Yes, I'm here. Just...thinking. About how we're going to get out of here."

"Well, look at this." Placing his hands on the ends of the table, Jounouchi seemed to pull with all his might. Grunting, he twisted right and left. The table stayed in its position. "Thing is stuck to the floor. Don't know how. Maybe putting it up properly kinda triggered somethin'. Might mean that, if we find these objects, we can move it. Think it leads to a secret passage?"

"I think it is curious enough to look into," Seto muttered. Standing from his position, he glanced around. "But that means we will have to find _two_ objects." He once again looked at all the doors surrounding them. _Which means this is about to get interesting..._

"Well, if there's only two floors, it shouldn't be quite so bad, should it?" Jounouchi pushed himself up and brushed the dirt from his pants. "And I dunno about you, but I have yet to see or hear any signs of ghosts."

Seto had noticed that, too, and he wasn't sure what exactly to make of it. _The note warned that there would be ghosts here...and those notes have been right up to this point. Perhaps something triggers them? If so, wouldn't finding the table do so? Unless the table has nothing to do with the puzzle..._

"Got a game plan?"

Seto slowly turned to look at Jounouchi. The blonde had his hands in his pockets, and he was smiling calmly at him. Seto slowly nodded. "If the table requires two cards, and there are two floors in this building, then it is easy to assume that there is a card on each floor. Rather than starting on the first floor, though, we should start on the second. I have a feeling that _something_ will trigger a ghost's presence. I don't believe this area is as safe as we want it to be. We can get the first card on the second floor just in case. That way, if something is triggered, we can quickly scan this floor and rush to the table without worrying about the stairs."

Jounouchi's eyes widened. "Nice plan, man! Wouldn't have thought of all that. But how will we know what rooms we entered?"

Seto scanned the area quickly one last time. "It seems the building makes a complete square. We can use the stairwell as a marker. I highly doubt it will cause too much trouble, but we can also keep the shutter doors open to mark where we've been."

Jou nodded. "Sounds good. I just don't wanna waste time in here revisiting rooms, you know what I mean?"

Seto nodded in agreement. He turned and began approaching the stairwell, listening to the blonde's footsteps behind him. Climbing the stairs two at a time, he swiftly made it to the second floor balcony. His light revealed more blood stains on the floor, but he ignored them, choosing instead to turn left and approach the first shutter door on his left-hand side. He reached forward to open it, but a sudden noise caused him to stop.

His hand froze. _What...what was that...?_ He turned to look down into the lobby. There was no sign of any activity. He then glanced over at the blonde, who was now eyeing him curiously.

"What's up?"

"Did you...hear anything?"

Jou frowned. "No..."

Seto's frown deepened. Sighing, he muttered, "Maybe it's just my nerves." He reached forward once again to open the shutter door. But the second he grasped it, he saw it.

A shadow.

Before he knew it, a blade pierced through the shutter door in front of him. The sound of the door crunching echoed throughout the lobby. The outline of another person on the other side of the door became visible by the falling flashlight.

And Seto felt the blade pierce his chest.


	15. 15 : The First Card

**Chapter 15 : The First Card**

"Kaiba!"

Before he could register what was taking place, he felt the blade leave his torso as he nearly tripped backwards from the force of the attack. The railing kept him from falling over the edge of the balcony, and a hand grabbed his own and began to pull him away from his assailant. The sword continued to be stabbed through the door, as if slashing its way through was the only way to progress. His flashlight fell to the ground. He reached out to grab it only to hiss in pain as the wound tore open. The sensation of blood rising above his skin caused him to shiver.

"In here!"

The sound of another shutter door opening grabbed his attention, and he realized Jounouchi had been dragging him down the hallway and away from the ghost. He slowly gained his bearings just in time for Jou to nearly toss him into a room, slamming the screen door shut behind him. He watched in the darkness as the outline of the blonde approached him and forced him to sit down.

"You okay, man?"

Seto's eyes widened. The blonde's heavy breathing, mixed with his own, filled the empty room. The question had been asked with a shaky voice. Jounouchi was genuinely concerned for him. Groaning, he placed his hand against the right side of his chest. The blade, fortunately, had not cut too deeply, but it was near the intersection of his chest and shoulder. Stretching his arm out caused a great shock of pain, and he grimaced as he let his arm fall down to his side. "Why did you let the flashlight fall on the ground?" he questioned, looking up at nothing but darkness, sensing rather than seeing that Jounouchi was sitting in front of him.

"Because, dude, there was a fucking ghost in front of us!" he shouted. "And besides, you got struck down! I wasn't risking anything!"

"I… I'm fine."

"_Really_, Kaiba? You just got stabbed with a sword. You sure you're fine?"

He pressed his hand against the wound, shivering slightly at the blood that welled up from underneath his skin. _It really isn't that deep… I've handled much worse. It's just in a bad spot, is all. _To prove his words to himself, he slowly stood from his position on the floor. The darkness caused him to feel a slight wave of dizziness, and it took a few seconds to regain his bearings, but he sighed in relief when the pain subsided somewhat. "It's just a dull pain," he explained to Jounouchi. "I've been dealt harsher blows. I will be fine."

He listened as Jounouchi released a heavy sigh of relief. "Well that's good to hear. I saw that blade and panicked. Can't afford to lose you now."

Seto frowned as he glanced over at the closed shutter door. He remembered being attacked by that woman in blue, the sensation of dying by her hands. The blood now pouring from his shoulder reminded him of that incident, and he sighed heavily as he swallowed back his pride. "Thank you…for getting me out of there," he swiftly muttered. Before Jounouchi could respond, he added, "Now, let's get that flashlight back."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for. To help ya out. But do you really wanna go out there when that ghost may be wandering around?"

"Do you want to remain sitting in here without a light?"

Before Jounouchi could answer, a loud growl suddenly pierced through the silence, causing both Seto and Jounouchi to jump. Heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway outside their room. Instinct took over, and Seto crouched back down, hovering close to the floor. He felt Jounouchi huddle close to him as the footsteps swiftly became louder. "What the fuck is going on?" Jounouchi whispered into his ear.

"I don't know..."

The sound of the shutter material being slashed filled his ears. Seto watched in horror as the outline of the sword pierced through the door, much as it had previously with him on the other end. The ghost growled loudly, swinging his sword up and down with rage. Seto slowly reached out and grabbed onto Jounouchi's shoulder. "Follow me," he whispered. Taking a step back, he began retreating towards the back of the room. It was dark, but he didn't know if that would matter to a ghost. They needed to be as far away from him as possible.

He wasn't about to be hit a second time.

The attacks on the door continued. He listened with baited breath as the door was all but annihilated. Feeling his heels hit the back wall, he swallowed hard, listening for the ghost to approach them. He could see the ghost's shadow thanks to the flashlight out in the hallway, but all he could make out was a black figure, tall and muscular. The ghost moved its head back and forth, as if sniffing out where Seto and Jounouchi were, before howling at the top of its lungs, filling the room with its voice. Seto flinched and felt Jounouchi do the same. To his surprise, however, the ghost turned around and rushed down the hallway. Within seconds, the sounds of him attacking the next door over filled the air.

"What the fuck...what the fuck..."

He hadn't noticed it until now, but Jounouchi was shaking. Incredibly so. Reaching out, he grabbed the blonde's hand and muttered, "We'll be fine."

"What the fuck... Dude, what the fuck..."

_Shit, he is panicking. _Seto growled and raised his left hand. He was shocked to feel the wall next to him. He had backed them not towards the back of the room, but into the corner. Feeling the material, he was even more surprised when his fingers brushed against a door handle. He blinked as he released Jou's hand, using them both to feel out the wall. _No fucking way..._ _It's a secret door!_ Indeed, patting the door ever so slightly let out an echo just loud enough to indicate emptiness on the other side. Opening the shutter, he went to pull on Jounouchi only to feel the wound open. He cried out in pain, releasing the blonde and letting his arm fall to his side.

"Kaiba!" Jounouchi seemed to regain his senses, for he rushed over and helped him stand with the support of his shoulder.

"It's nothing," Seto insisted, knowing that Jounouchi was probably giving him an odd look. "I just need to be careful not to pull it too hard. It's fine." Gaining his bearings once again, Seto grabbed onto Jounouchi's hand with his left hand before dragging him through the door.

He was in the adjacent room, and from the light coming in from the hallway, Seto saw that the door had been damaged as well. _The ghost is attacking everything in sight,_ he realized. _This is nothing like the ghost in the library. That ghost was creepy and followed us, but this...this ghost is a monster. A vicious attacker._

"Kaiba...look..."

Seto glanced over to see Jounouchi's shadow pointing down at the floor. He turned to look in the direction and blinked in shock. "That's..."

Lying on the floor was a small, rectangular card. Seto rushed forward and lifted it. It was light, about the size of his hand, but he couldn't make out what was on it. It felt like a wooden block. "Does this look like it would fit on that table?" Jounouchi asked, still keeping his voice low. Seto slowly nodded. It did. He wondered if it was a piece of the puzzle, perhaps the first piece. Jounouchi chuckled. "Well that _was_ kinda easy. Maybe it was good to start on the second floor."

Seto frowned._ Too easy..._ "We still do not know," Seto replied. "Let's go out, get the flashlight, and head down to the first floor. We can place the card on the table and see if it fits."

"But wouldn't the flashlight attract the ghost?"

"Do you want to walk around without one?"

Jounouchi growled. "Can't we light a candle or somethin'? It wouldn't attract so much attention."

"Where the hell do you think we'll find a candle?"

"In one of those star rooms, maybe...?"

"I highly doubt you can move the candle, Jounouchi."

The blonde shrugged. "Isn't it worth a shot to avoid getting attacked by that thing?"

Seto shook his head. "We're going to need a source of light. And we can't afford to waste time looking for candles. We will get the flashlight and cover it with our hands. It will provide just enough light to help us, and maybe it won't attract the ghost."

"Wouldn't that burn your hand?"

"And an open flame wouldn't?"

"But-"

Seto growled. He was done arguing with Jounouchi over the matter. _We need that flashlight. If we get caught out in the city during the night again, or if the next puzzles are in dark places, we need a source of light. Hell, we need one now to figure out what this card is._ Glancing down, he placed the card in his bad hand, hoping it would deter him from stretching his arm anymore. He could feel a few drops of blood flowing down his arm every now and then but chose to let it go. _It's not like we can stop now, and it isn't going to heal on its own. We just have to keep moving forward. _

And moved forward, he did. Taking several steps towards the shattered screen door, he peeked out into the hallway. The flashlight lie on the ground, pointing in his direction. He turned to see the ghost at the far end of the hallway still stabbing at the doors. _As good a time as any to go downstairs. _He glanced behind him to see Jounouchi next to him, hunched forward and waiting for his signal. When he nodded, so did Jounouchi. He walked out into the hallway and, swiftly lowering to a crouched position, burst towards the flashlight.

With his free hand, he managed to swipe it up, and with card and flashlight, he dashed down the stairs, nearly tripping twice. Jounouchi followed close behind. The second his feet touched the first floor, he pressed himself against the wall and listened intently above. The ghost was still growling, still plowing around, but it was no closer than before. He figured it hadn't noticed their movements and released a heavy sigh.

"Here, give me that!"

Seto watched in surprise as the blonde snatched the flashlight from his hand. Placing his own hand over the light, Jounouchi then rushed towards the center of the room where the table was. Seto trailed behind, peeking up at the second-floor balcony to see if he could make out the ghost. The noises of its footsteps and slashes echoed throughout the room, but the ghost as well as most of the balcony was swallowed up by the darkness. There was almost nothing to see.

Feeling a hand lightly pat his arm, he glanced over to see Jounouchi standing next to the table. "Kaiba, you got the card?"

Seto nodded. Approaching the table, he set it down into one of the empty slots. It was a perfect fit. He watched as it sunk slightly into the table, and a loud _click_ echoed throughout the room. One by one, candles began to appear next to the doorways of adjacent rooms, quickly working to illuminate the entire chamber. The scrolls of the women became visible, and the actual damage of furniture and shutter doors struck Seto by surprise. Within seconds, the shop was completely lit up, making the flashlight obsolete.

Seto swallowed when he realized just what they had done. "Oh shit..."

His heart skipped a beat when, upon the last candle being lit, the ghost howled above them. He looked to Jounouchi to see the blonde shivering, his hazel eyes wide. He looked back up. The ghost raised its sword and pointed it down towards them. Howling once more, it began to run towards the nearest flight of stairs, sword raised to strike. To his surprise, Jounouchi reached out and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" He felt himself be lifted and hissed as the wound further opened from the pull.

"Fuck!" He pressed his hand against the wound. It immediately turned red. He was bleeding...badly.

"Come on!" The echo of the ghost's footsteps, accompanied by his growls, filled the chamber. The ghost was getting closer. Seto's heart began to race. He swiftly followed behind Jounouchi, and the two rushed forward into one of the rooms. As soon as he entered, however, Seto felt something was off. His feet were suddenly unstable, as if on two separate planes.

"Jounouchi, do you-" A sudden crack echoed throughout the room, like wood breaking. Seto's eyes widened as he felt the ground move underneath him. "What the-?!"

His eyes widened as he felt the floor give out from underneath him. The wooden panels split into thousands of pieces beneath their weight. He didn't even get the chance to take note of the room they were in. Before he knew it, he was falling. Jounouchi cried out, and Seto felt his stomach flip. He looked in all directions, trying to realize where they were going, but as the light from the first floor room disappeared, the darkness of their new surroundings engulfed him.

Within seconds, he heard Jounouchi land on a hard floor. It was only another second or two before he himself landed hard. The impact stunned his body, and he felt himself become tense. He couldn't breathe. He coughed, trying to catch his breath. His head was spinning. "Jou..." he muttered.

"Yeah?"

Jou's voice sounded as weak as his, but at least he was awake. Seto continued coughing, trying to catch his breath, and groaned as he rolled over onto his damaged shoulder. Slowly pushing himself up on his hands and knees, Seto finally managed to take in a large breath of air. He did so several times, hoping to calm his rapid heartbeat. Jou was breathing heavily, too. A sudden beam of light caught his attention, and he looked over to see Jounouchi holding the flashlight in his hand. He was lying on his back on the ground. "You a'ight, man?"

Seto nodded. "Yeah... I'm okay. You?"

"Pffft. Fuckin' fantastic." Jounouchi slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. Bits of wood were scattered on the floor. Waving the flashlight around, Jounouchi glanced down at it before chuckling. "I fuckin' hate it when pricks like you are right, Kaiba."

Seto smirked. "You mean about the flashlight? Wish you had a candle right now, Jounouchi?"

"You're an asshole."

Despite the fall, despite the pain in his body, and despite the ghost above them, Seto chuckled. "And you're an idiot."

Jounouchi smirked back at him. "At least we're alive idiots and assholes. So..." Waving the light around, he asked, "How the fuck are we gettin' outta here?"

Seto couldn't help himself. Inhaling another large breath of air, he said, "Hopefully with the help of that flashlight..."

Jounouchi laughed. "Holy shit... You can actually make a joke. Maybe we_ are_ dead."

Seto heard the ghost shout up above and shook his head. "Maybe I'll tell another one once we get out of here. Now..." Pushing himself up, he brushed the bits of wood from his pants. He then reached out towards Jounouchi, offering his good hand. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

Jounouchi smirked, took his hand, and stood up. "You got it."


	16. 16 : Revelations in Darkness

_Hello again, everyone! _

_I just want to thank you all for the views, reviews, and favorites! I really didn't think this story was that great and still, to some degree, find it lacking, but I'm really happy to hear you all are enjoying this! Thank you for all the support! You guys are fantastic, and it's exciting to hear all your theories as to what is taking place!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 : Revelations in Darkness<strong>

The corridor Seto and Jounouchi now found themselves in was surprisingly wide, yet the darkness still caused Seto to question how safe they really were. Jounouchi still held the flashlight, and the blonde waved it around a bit before pointing to their left. "Looks like we can head that way," he noted. Seto frowned, observing that the light seemed to be outmatched by the darkness. Still, the other way was only a dead end. It wasn't like they had much choice. To his surprise, however, Jounouchi pointed the flashlight back at him. "How is your arm?"

"It's fine," he automatically answered. Jou's eyebrows knit together in confusion, and Seto glanced down at his shoulder only to blink in surprise. Now that he could actually _see _the damage, he realized where Jou's questions were coming from. His shoulder was soaked in blood, and there was an evident tear in his shirt that revealed the cut. "Seriously, it's fine," he repeated, making his tone harsher on purpose. "I told you, I have dealt with worse."

"Yeah, well, probably not in such a fucked-up situation," Jou countered. "We'll find somethin' to put on it before we get out of here. You think a starred room might heal ya up?"

Seto shook his head. "I'm not sure, but you can leave the game through a starred room, and I cannot. I wouldn't bet on the room being able to somehow heal my wounds."

"Maybe your bedroom, then?"

"Maybe..."

"We'll figure it out once we complete this damn puzzle. No worries."

"Then let's get going." Jou nodded, and turning on his heels, he began walking down the corridor. Seto didn't like relinquishing control of the flashlight, but his arm was in a signifncant amount of pain thanks to the fall, and he figured it might be best to push himself as little as possible, even by not tensely holding their only source of light. Their footsteps echoed off the stone flooring as they followed the linear pathway, and Seto noted that the walls were also stone, though they were cut much smoother than the ground.

"Kinda a weird place to have a basement, don't'cha think?" Jou asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

"I'm choosing not to question the rationale of whoever designed this game," Seto remarked. "I'm done with that. A brothel with a basement means little to someone who kidnaps others with the intent of torturing and killing them."

"Ha, yeah, you're right about that." Soon the two came to an intersection, their only options being to go left or right. Pointing the flashlight in both directions, Jounouchi turned to Seto and shrugged. "Which way you wanna go?"

Seto frowned as he tried to remember the layout above. "We...fell in the southern part of the building, correct?"

"Hmm?"

"Left from the entrance?"

Jou looked around, as if contemplating for a few seconds, before blinking and nodding. "Uh, yeah! I think so!"

"Then let's head left. That will take us towards the back of the building rather than towards the entrance. If we're lucky, we may find the exit in a room that has the second card."

"Look at you, being all optimistic!" Jou chuckled and nodded. "But you got it!" Turning left, he continued walking, with Seto following close behind. "At least there aren't any ghosts down here, ya know? I'm not hearing anything."

Seto noted that too, and he felt his body become less tense with each step he took. It was a great relief not having to worry about the aggressive ghost upstairs. _Unless, of course, that ghost uses the exit before we do and comes down here..._

"Hey, what's that?"

Seto looked in the direction of the light. Hanging on the wall was a large scroll revealing a couple standing in a garden. The woman's long, black hair flowed in a poorly drawn breeze, while the man, dressed in villager attire, gazed directly into the woman's eyes. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, as if whisking her away. "It's just a scroll," Seto remarked. "There were many of them upstairs."

"Yeah, but it's also as close to a bandage as we're gonna get."

Seto's eyebrows rose. "A...bandage?" He watched in amazement as Jounouchi approached the scroll and ripped it down with one, swift motion. Tearing a large, long chunk of it off, he turned to Seto and stepped towards him. Seto instinctively took a step back. "Just what the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Jou exclaimed, chuckling at Seto's obvious discomfort. "I was gonna bandage your shoulder up."

"And how the hell would you do that?"

"Pretty easily, actually. Here, hold the flashlight." Handing it over, Jounouchi took another step towards him. Seto held his ground, curiosity getting the best of him. "The couple in the scroll might not like bein' separated," Jou rambled as he reached out and grabbed Seto's arm, "but they'll just have ta deal with it."

Seto watched with wide eyes as the blonde slowly, even gently, began to wrap the material of the scroll around his shoulder. The material was surprisingly soft, though a little stiff, and he could barely feel it over the fabric of his shirt. With surprising precision, Jounouchi wrapped the material twice around his shoulder before tying it just tight enough to stop the flow of blood. "There!" he exclaimed, his face beaming with pride as he took a step back. "That should help ya out!"

To say Seto was stunned would be an understatement. His arm already felt better thanks to the pressure. Letting his arm drop to his side, he slowly reached out and handed over the flashlight. "Thank you..."

"Ah, it's nothing!" the blonde exclaimed. "And now you got a pretty lady on your shoulder, haha!"

Seto blinked and glanced down. Indeed, Jou had torn off the side with the woman on it, and her face was visible. He shrugged and returned his attention to Jounouchi only to blink in surprise. "Jounouchi..." Jou immediately stiffened, most likely expecting a ghost behind him. Seto shook his head no. "There's no one behind you. But look..." Jou sighed and turned only to flinch.

Where the scroll had been...was now a doorway.

"Eh, what the?" Jou took a step forward and reached out. It wasn't a shutter door like the ones above, but rather just a plain, wooden door. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. "Yo Kaiba, hand me that flashlight." Seto did, and the blonde frowned when he pointed it through the new entrance. "Ahh, just another hallway."

"Still, it is evident we were not supposed to find this door," Seto remarked. "It might be better to head down this way than continue forward."

"Good point. Your arm feelin' better?"

Seto nodded. "Yes..." _Thanks to you, as weird as that sounds._

"A'ight, cool. Then let's keep goin'." Jounouchi passed through the new doorway, and Seto mentally shrugged once more as he began following yet again. "I'm still tryin' ta figure out just what time period this game is set in," Jou suddenly remarked. Seto looked around. The corridor was exactly like the one they had just come from: stone walls, stone floors. He wondered if there would be another scroll hiding a doorway. "I mean, the buildings look old, these paintings are definitely old, and the outfits of the ghosts are kinda weird, but then again, you got this flashlight."

"And not a candle." He spoke before he thought, and Seto blushed when he realized how easily the joke slipped. Fortunately Jounouchi did not look back to see his face.

"Yeah, yeah, smartass. Not a candle. But ya know what I mean?"

"Again, I'm not choosing to question the rationale of this game's creator. This game was designed to mentally torture me, not to be historically accurate."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Sighing, Jou muttered, "Man, it's gotta be gettin' late in the real world."

Seto smirked. "Got a date tonight?"

"Hahaha." This time the laugh was drawn out cynically, with Jou emphasizing each 'ha.' "Very funny, Kaiba. Unless you count the time we're spending together right now as a date, which, if you do, you clearly haven't been on one, then no, I don't have any dates tonight."

"For your clarification, no, I don't consider this a date."

"I'm surprised you even know that word," Jou remarked. "I would think, if you started datin', the whole world would blow up from the drama."

Seto frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Dude, every time I go to a damn grocery store, there's at least two magazines with images of you on it. Those stupid gossip, ladies magazines or whatever. It's fuckin' annoying, seein' your face all the time."

"You think I enjoy that kind of attention? I wish I could keep the paparazzi away from my home. But there is only so much I can do legally, and I would rather have them focus on me than on Mokuba."

Jou nodded as he continued scanning the corridor with the flashlight. "Nah, I know. I know ya enough to know having people shove cameras in your face ain't your idea of a good time. I'm just sayin', if you went on a date, those magazines would implode overnight."

"I really don't understand why we're having this conversation," Seto noted, his voice lower than before.

"Meh, why not? We're just wanderin', and-hey, look! Another scroll!"

Seto's eyes widened as he caught sight of the second scroll. The image was designed in a similar fashion; however, this time it was two women who stood side by side in the garden. They appeared sisters more than lovers, holding each other's hand and gazing up at a butterfly on a large gathering of peonies. Jou immediately pulled it down, and both he and Seto flinched when only a stone wall greeted them. "Ahhh man," Jou complained. "Maybe this was the wrong way after all..."

"We still have some of the corridor to go," Seto noted. "Let's see if it leads to a dead end. If not, we can just turn around. I still don't hear any ghosts."

"True. Was just kinda hopin' we'd get outta here. I don't like how dark it is down here."

Seto nodded in agreement, and the two once again picked up their walk, examining the walls with the flashlight for any sign of an exit. "So Kaiba, while we're on the topic, and you're in a somewhat less-than-asshole mood, lemme ask ya. You ever been on a date?"

Seto's eyes widened immediately at the question. "And what business is that of yours?"

"It's not. You don't gotta answer if you don't wanna. Just askin' 'cuz frankly, I'd rather talk to ya than walk around here in silence. The darkness is creepy enough without hearing every damn echo of every noise. And for what it's worth, I've been on a date, so there, embarrassment factor outta the way. Unless, of course, you've never been on one."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Yes, Jou, I've been on a date before. Several, in fact."

"With different people? Or the same guy?"

Jounouchi's last word made him grind to a halt. Seto's jaw dropped slightly, and his eyes widened in absolute shock. Knowing he gave himself away before he even had the chance to think, he merely asked, "What...?"

Sensing Seto's halt, Jou stopped, turned, and blinked in surprise. "What 'what'?"

Seto bit his lower lip. "How..."

"How did I know you were gay?" Jounouchi said it incredibly casually, and to Seto's utter astonishment, he laughed. "A few things, really. For one, those trenchcoats. Dude, have you seen yourself in them? Now have you ever seen a straight guy walkin' around struttin' easily in those things? No, you haven't. Second, those magazines. I've seen photos of you at parties, not on purpose, mostly 'cuz I was super bored and there was some old lady in front of me, but you were with some pretty hot chicks. If you ain't bangin' 'em, and the magazines would know if you were, then you're pretty gay. Third, that photo in your room." Seto gasped, remembering the photo of Akume and him. "The way you panicked at me seein' it, it had to be a former boyfriend, right?" Seto merely nodded, swallowing hard. "Not that it's easy for others to pick up on that," Jou continued. "The way gays are discriminated against here in Japan, I'd say the majority of people don't know. So if you're worried 'bout that, don't be. And no, I'm not judgin' ya. It'd be pretty hypocritical to judge you on having a boyfriend."

"And why is that?" he hissed, his anger at being so easily caught by someone as dumb as the blonde mixing with his confusion at Jounouchi's laidback mannerisms. He was right, after all. Homosexuals weren't exactly treated on equal footing in Japanese culture. It was the reason he had to hide it so well...and the reason why so many things fell apart with Akume.

Jounouchi slowly smiled. "'Cuz I've had boyfriends, too. 'Cuz I'm gay, too." Jou chuckled and added, "Which is also probably how I knew you were gay."

For a moment, the two merely stared at one another, Jounouchi with a laidback, happy smile, Seto with an expression of utter confusion. So many thoughts collided in his mind that he couldn't form a sentence. This had all come out so fast that, for a second, he questioned if they even spoke. All at once, he was angry, confused, grateful, and relieved. He knew the blonde would never tell before he managed to utter the phrase, "If you tell anyone..."

Jou waved his hand. "Of course I won't. The only people I would tell are my friends, and they, well... They don't really know..."

Seto's eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose in shock at that statement. "You told me before you told your friends?"

"Well, you're gay!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "I don't know if you noticed, but no one else in that group is. Anzu is always tryin' ta flirt with Yuugi, and Tristan's datin' some chick he met at work. Duke and Serenity are a thing, now, too..." The way the blonde's mouth moved, Seto could tell he wasn't thrilled with the arrangement. He knew the feeling, remembering a girl Mokuba took out on a date during seventh grade. "So, yeah, no one knows. 'Cept you. Bet'cha feel cool now, don't you?"

"Not...really..."

Jounouchi shrugged. "It's whatever. I figured I'd tell 'em when the time comes. Not like they need to know now." He tilted his head slightly to the side and smiled. "Does Mokuba know 'bout you?"

Seto nodded. "He found out...when I started dating Akume."

"Akume?"

"The blonde in the photo I kept telling you to put down."

"Ohh..." Jounouchi's eyes widened in realization, and he blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh...see why ya didn't want me seein' that photo."

"Yeah. But that's when I told Mokuba."

"And he's cool with it?"

"Of course."

A warm smile crossed Jounouchi's lips. "That's cool, man, that you got that support. It's not that I don't think my friends won't support me, too, but... I don't know, it's awkward. Wasn't it when you told Mokuba?"

Awkward didn't even begin to cover it. With all the shit with Gozaburo going on, he had to worry about Akume on top of it all. To explain why Seto first fell in love with him, why he dated him, why he hid the relationship for over a year, and then why they broke up...explaining all that to Mokuba... He settled on merely stating, "Yeah, it was."

"Well, good for you for talkin' to him." Patting his good shoulder, Jounouchi chuckled and turned the flashlight back down the hallway. "And just for the record, I'll repeat that I won't tell anyone. That's none of my damn business, and I don't care who you're datin'. I didn't mean for this conversation to get outta hand, either. But I appreciate ya bein' honest with me."

Seto's eyes wandered from the blonde's face, to the flashlight, then back to his face. He slowly nodded. Jounouchi smirked. "Now that we had that good talk, let's get the hell outta here. I forgot how creepy this place was for a second."

Not knowing what else to say, Seto merely bit his lower lip, figuring it would be best to process what just happened before making anymore comments. Taking a step forward, he silently trailed behind Jounouchi, his hand slowly yet subconsciously wandering up to his bandaged shoulder.


End file.
